This is why so many people think the St George’s cross has negative undertones
this post was submitted on 05 Sep 2025
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That and the fact that the whole concept of flags was born out of a desire to mark territory as "mine" and therefore not to be shared with outsiders.
Not entirely true. Yes flags have always been used when tribes etc go to war.
But historically those same tribes often considered the result of winning a war. To include absorbing the population of the other. Tribe. Or the outsiders.
Many different attitudes towards those outside members have existed with different nations and tribes over time.
Vikings for example were nothing like the image we see in movies etc. those images were created by a single British priest as open properganda,
He is documented as having declared them as stealing UK woman by being over clean and inclusive of their wants and desires. (Paraphrased)
Rome was I little more questionable, but very much encouraged outsiders to join their culture. Not just as slaves. That generally only applied to opposition fighters. And those who refused to see Rome as the authority. But their Class system very much placed Rome born above others. But much like modern western nations. Immigration into Rome for employment as free citizens was very encouraged for those with any usable skills.
Thanks for an interesting answer. It baffles me that you are being downvoted.
It includes disgusting fucking revisionist lies, that's why. The Vikings had a prolific chattel slavery economy, current estimates place it at around 30% of the population, which is about the maximum you can get away with before the slave revolts start winning.
The rights of slaves under it (basically none) are relatively well documented.
The argument is also a nonsensical nonsequitor that has nothing to do with the aftershocks of tribal conquest and absorbtion.
Yes, ancient cultures viewed things differently that we do, but the examples chosen are awful.
What they're trying to get around to is that ancient conquests were rarely outright genocidal in nature, which is true, but it has very, very little to do with the claim about flags which weren't even fucking national symbols in the cultures they chose.
Flags as a national symbol and territorial claim only became truly prominent in the Age of Sail and widespread European colonialism. The Romans and Vikings have fuck all to do with it.
Probably for claiming that the Vikings invaded a country that wouldn’t exist for centuries yet.
And there's the switch from this is a bit of flag waving patriotism to outright racism
It's always been about racism
Do you mean flag waving is always about racism?
Yeah, pretty much.
With the St Georges Cross it seems to be the case.
See other flags of the world being flown and it just looks like they're being patriotic, but with the England flag it just seems it symbolises something darker.
Not sure why, mebbies it's just me?
If the black areas of things were marked with a white cross to emulate the Cornish flag, would it be the same?
Depends how many teeth the flag waver has
Tl;Dr the rise of nationalism coincided with the rise of the modern concepts of race and are innately connected. Flags as the primary symbols of national identity developed along with nationalism.
Nationalism as a concept is capable of being separated from racism but the roots are undeniable.
That's not what they said though. They said the conspicuous patriotism was always a cover for the racism.
Yeah, because prior to this incident everyone involved was a peaceful patriot and not a mouth breathing reform voting racist.
I'm not going to get my knickers in a twist over someone waving/displaying a flag, like plenty of people do.
But when you go around spraying it on things that don't belong to you, houses, roundabouts, bush shelters, etc... nah. You're just a scummy little vandal, and your behaviour needs to be challenged.
I really do hate that our national flag has been taken by the far right and general football hooligans. If you go to any other country in the world and see someone waving their flag you just think "That person loves their country, how nice".
This is the only place in the world where the national flag is a hate symbol. I'd support a campaign to reclaim it and break the negative associations but you just know it would immediately get corrupted by the same people they're trying to reclaim it from.
our national flag has been taken by the far right
This is the only place in the world where the national flag is a hate symbol.
Aren't you forgetting someone? 🦅🇺🇸 🍔
If you go to any other country in the world and see someone waving their flag you just think
not in Germany. our flag is clearly used by the far right mainly. and by football (soccer) fans during international events.
Wish we had a better flag than a red cross. Make them have to draw something detailed instead.
Can you spell manufactured controversy?
They’re marking plague houses.