In Europe flags can be seen as unpleasant symbols of small-minded nationalism. Millions and millions of people have killed each other over the centuries in Europe for immaterial and nonsensical ideals and false ideas of national supremacy. Except at international sporting events, flying a flag is usually something rather embarrassing, and often suggests extreme right-wing tendencies.
-- Bob > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On > Behalf Of Adam Maas > Sent: 08 January 2007 23:46 > To: Pentax-Discuss Mail List > Subject: Re: PESO - American Fence > > One thing is that Americans tend to have a far more personal > relationship with their flag than most other countries. It is, to the > greatest extent, the one enduring symbol of their nation, it's their > battle standard and the covering of their coffin when they've > died for > their nation. To a great extent, it IS the US. Remember that there's > essentially no other universal symbol of the US, they've no > royal family > (Much as the Kennedy's, Clinton's and Bush's might aspire) > and no other > uniting symbols from the founding of their nation (Apart from perhaps > the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, but > those are less > symbolic than a flag). So the flag is more than a mere symbol of the > country to most Americans, it's THEIR flag. > > And kitsch is a very american thing. Doing such things > demonstrates just > how attached to the flag everyday Americans are. Or check out > the lyrics > to the song "Ragged Old Flag" by the Charlie Daniels Band which is a > good demonstration of how many Americans feel about Old > Glory(which is a > nickname for the US flag). > > -Adam -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
