this post was submitted on 25 Mar 2025
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We should always have assumed the worst and continue to assume the worst. Nationalism is the problem.
Right?
At what point was it a symbol for good?
I don't mean historical precedent. I'm talking times within the life span of somebody in the generations starting from, say, the boomers', when seeing an American flag might have filled them with hope or positivity or optimism that was not born of simple blind nationalism.
Certainly not within my lifetime (born 1990); The closest I can come to that by drawing on my own memory is the huge wave of patriotic fervor that swept the nation after 9/11, and at that time I was just a kid anyway and so of course I was caught up in it too.
Nationalism tore down the divine right of kings. The US is not the whole world.
Fascists managed to bring back monarchism sugarcoated in nationalism.
Nationalism is like a potent pesticide when used correctly it's brilliant, but used incorrectly and you just gassed a small town. That aside I really hope the US is subject to a springtime of nations because frankly speaking it ain't a unified nation, it's at minimum 50 nations not factoring in first nations.
When I was a kid I didn't have to worry if the person with the flag was completely batshit crazy or not. The only annoying thing was needing to do the pledge of allegiance because public education forces people to do that, even though I'd much rather be doing anything else.
Nowadays though gotta avoid the flag like the plague, especially if its on a pickup truck
In most states it is illegal to force kids to do the pledge. I caught a lot of shit for not doing it but it seemed really creepy and wrong to me from about age 13.
I can But only because I was in cub scouts Which seems a bit propaganda ish in hindsight
Welcome to the club, Americans!
Sincerely, The Germans
And in England (unless there's an international football tournament)
Fuck flags and national pride. Its stupid af.
Wish we could just unite the working class everywhere and revolt as a united front but people will always find a reason to split us up like borders.
Not only is nationalism stupid, it's also a fairly new idea.
This Roy Cassagrande clip gives a great insight into its birth.
Notably not so new that the founders werent aware and made comments specifically about it being stupid and bad.
Dude rampant nationalism being a "red flag" has been a thing at least as long as I've been paying attention...that goes back to high school and the Bush 43, post-9/11 era.
I remember being in an elective...a social studies elective...that was mostly made up of like Honors-level kids...other try-hards such as myself. The class solely focused on pre-WW2 Germany through to the end of the Holocaust. This was October 2001, my Junior year of HS (year 11 of 12), and the USA PATRIOT act was the big news topic. The teacher was the kind that could easily be distracted into somewhat deep conversations about politics/current events, for being a bunch of teenagers, and the class got to discussing the act.
Back then, I was amazed that myself and the teacher were practically the only ones against it. The entire rest of the class thought it was a great idea and not at all an overreach.
Today, though? I'm not surprised by much.
This was a purplish town (by 2001 standards) in blue-as-fuck RI.
ETA. This was a month into a semester-long curriculum. I distinctly remember we had just covered the Reichstag Fire as we drew parallels to 9/11.
Yeah it's always been like this in most every country I think.
When someone says "I believe in family values" the implication is that they believe families should conform to their narrow definition, mum and dad and 2 kids and no one speaking unless spoken to.
Nationalism is the same. Everyone has a strong connection to their own country. People that are fixated on nationalism have narrow ideas about what their country ought to be.
As a non-American, that's what the wild rows of flags on houses and constant talk of the Amerucan Civic Religion has always looked like.
Most suburban neighbourhoods don't come with a flag holder on every front step. That's rather particular to the nationalists.
I see someone wearing the American flag as a pair of jogging pants and I assume the worst of the worst
American here, I think and feel the same way.
This is how it’s been in Europe ever since the Nazis. Flag properly hanging on a flag pole during a national holiday 😴 Flag taped onto a window at the front of their house 😱
Thats not sad, it means y'all are learning what this country has always stood for.
Until about a month ago, the Canadian flag was associated with anti-vaxx and the trucker convoy. It’s been nice these last few weeks to have our flag back.
For a similar reason, this is why I'm thinking about getting American flag themed cycling bibs haha.
Maybe when I'm out cycling, I'll be safer because they'll think "oh wait, he has an American flag, we can't hit that!"
Just make sure your date doesn’t think the same!
Same in Canada. False patriots wrapping themselves in the flag.
Nah, they can have it. It's always been a symbol of white supremacy and subjugation. I don't want it.
But we built this city on rock and roll.
And exploitation.
Also when I drive down south and start seeing trinity crosses everywhere, as a brown man I feel threathened. Thungsyou should be proud of being ruined by racists.
🌏🧑🚀🔫👩🚀
I understood that reference
Is this just a photoshopped image?
Isn't every meme just a photoshopped image?
In this case it felt like they were trying to pass it off as a real billboard somewhere.
It's because they use our flag to commit atrosities.