The American Flag Is So Offensive!

[clover]

Maybe you should start a thread called "The BRITISH flag is so offensive!"

[peterbj7]

You miss the point.  Most British, myself included, don't give a damn about the flag.

[deadserious]

You miss the point.  Most British, myself included, don't give a damn about the flag.

I find that a little sad.

[clover]

You miss the point.  Most British, myself included, don't give a damn about the flag.

  This thread isn't about the godd$%n British flag is it?  But to make you feel good I'll agree with you...I don't give a damn about the British flag either.

[peterbj7]

I didn't say the British flag.  Any national flag.

[clover]

In Britain waving the Union flag is generally associated with the National Front, an extreme right wing racist organisation whose activities are often proscribed.  So having a flag outside your house is definitely something you DON'T want to do.

Most British, myself included, don't give a damn about the flag.

I didn't say the British flag.  Any national flag.

Ok, I just misunderstood you.

[peterbj7]

I just looked up "patriotism" on Wikipedia.  It gives the results of two surveys of patriotism, conducted respectively in the early '90s and a few years later.  In both cases the USA was near the top.  Britain/England did not appear anywhere in either list, respectively 15 and 18 countries long.  Of course, I don't know exactly how they define "patriotism" or how they measure it.

The great Dr. Samuel Johnson said just a year before America gained its independence that "patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel".  By which he was of course referring to false jingoistic patriotism.

[deadserious]

Patriotism is loving your country so much that you are willing to overthrow your own government to make things right.

[peterbj7]

On that definition I think there are quite a few British patriots.