Swastikas, flags, and other symbols

An important article. Too often flags are used as a devisive symbol rather than one of unity. I fear though that many in England will find it hard to re-embrace what has become tainted by association.

This is much more complex than simply reclaiming the English flag. Part of the reason that the Cymru and Alba flags have such strong status, I think, is because they have been oppressed by the English in the past, and so the flag has become a symbol of fighting for their own culture - a fight they have arguably won, and continue to win. By contrast, the English (as the dominant nation in Great Britain) don't really have the same reason to fly the St George, in fact it seems kinda petty when we have the Union flag (which embraces multiple cultures - I know, I wish it included the Welsh too). That's why, in my opinion, the St George Cross becomes mostly associated with sports teams, and linked to the behaviour of fans.

Unfortunately I think it's already too late for the English flag. The negative connotations are already too strong.

Yet in a facebook post shown to me, someone connected to the usual suspects wants to drape the union flag up all the light poles in a part of Bridgend. Post cropped up on an indy councillors run page and interacted favourable by councillor. We don't need flag bothering like this when it is used to push racism. This is all it is at the moment, it is a drive to get people not white intimidated. Flying the flag now in the atmosphere of hate created by the usual suspects is more of an IQ test. The Union flag has now become toxic.

Nobody at Palestinian protest brandished a swastika flag. Thats a complete lie.

Why would I Google it when I know it to be a lie?

England and the English should be able to fly their Flag of St.George with pride. Englishness is no problem, or at least it shouldn't be. Creating spaces for healthy expressions of Englishness is one of the crying needs of our age - reclaiming it from the clutches of the far right, enabling our neighbours to be what they’ve always wanted to be the whole time – to be themselves. It is assimilationist British nationalism which is problematic for us - an ideology which legitimizes still claiming other peoples countries- still seeking to displace and subsume the already existing authentic historical identities in these islands. 

The strategy of the far right is to split the working/lower middle class. By pretending that all their economic woes stem from immigration, but not it seems from corporate exploitation. That fossil fuel companies are paying so much to lobby MP's with dire warnings of job losses, segues nicely into their false narrative that net zero will result in economic collapse. Not just flags, but the subtext.

The Union Flag, Britishness, Ethnic Minorities, and the Celtic nations. Despite being considered benign by the majority, for many of us in Ireland, Scotland, Wales, the Union flag still represents an aggressive, expansionist, appropriating, British nationalism. This is a nationalism which then places itself in direct competition with our own countries’ historical claims to nationhood - one which seeks to subsume and displace the already existing bona fide authentic national communities of these islands. But there is now of course a paradox here. Because for the newer ethnic minority communities Britishness ostensibly provides a safe tolerant umbrella under which they can shelter and hopefully be protected from the intolerances of the right. But consider again - for the original 'Celtic' identities Britishness to a large degree represents intolerance, assimilation, and a threat to our survival.

The English may be trying to reclaim their flag but with Reform using it and the Union Jack it's going to be difficult to wrench it away from the far right. It's highly likely that the party will try and use the Y Ddraig Goch in the same way the closer we get to next May. Trying to make itself a Welsh nationalist party. We must fight this, Reform is everything we are not in Cymru. Cymru is a proud liberal and socialist country, welcoming and open, not hate filled, xenophobic and racist.

The union flag just represents theft, torture, abuse, arrogance and bloodshed.

Worth mentioning that the, England women's football and rugby teams do fly the flag in a very positive and inclusive way. Even the fans of the respective men's team have improved massively over the years.

A pretty gross mis-characterisation of the supporters of Jeremy Corbyn of whom I am not a fan. Always thought John McDonnell far more interesting.

But also the country which promoted the Slave Trade most vigorously and effectively at its height? Pete, 'we' didn't 'win the war' my friend. Bowie, Beatles, and many more - brilliant English rock musicians - among the best in all the world.

Makes me laugh how the far right racists comment on the appearance of the anti fascist patriots.Do any of these people own a mirror?

Which country? The empire that ran the Atlantic slave trade for decades and grew fat on it you mean? The one that compensated the slave owners for their "property"? The one that strapped people to cannons before firing them? The one that castrated prisoners as punishment? Invented concentration camps? Struggling to see where the Beatles and Bowie fit in to the empire mind but then I don't tend to mistake the UK and its empire for a country. It is a monarchist/imperialist state that swallowed up countries and imposed anglo-supremacy on them. There's no balance in saying "oh we did some good things and some bad things." The balance is in exposing the past to the cold light of day not lionising mythology.

Running flags up every available lamppost and other edifice just makes the country look just like !930's Nazi Germany. Driving past County Hall in Carmarthen on Friday, I saw a vacant flagpole. Still no sign of the missing Union flag. Are the police investigating. What aren't we being told?

Slavery didn't end because we told it to. And we were one of the biggest in the business. We were part of the process but slaves basically became indentured workers and we paid the slave owners, not the slaves, there is a dark side to this that people don't want to remember. Many a country pile is now there because of slaves. We did face down the enemy, but we also had help. It did not happen with UK and UK only. The BoB, the highest scoring were the Poles, same country that dropped us working enigma and plans hours before the germans marched in, plans without which we would have been years behind and Ultra played a massive role in the war being won. Many facets, many nations. Don't forget that many a UK band also cite US blues as inspirations. Not always clear cut.

Saw it in a photo on the internet, did you?

The Dragon is probably Chinese, copied by the Romans, copied by the Celtic Brythons/Welsh. The Cross, a universal Christian motif, was first used as badge specifcally denoting England in these islands by English soldiers fighting in the Welsh independence wars against Prince Llywelyn ap Gruffydd - 1277, 1282,. He had conveniently been excommunicated and so the English lads had the comfort of knowing they were participating in a Crusade ;-). It's not the historical provenence of these flags which is important - but their powerful political symbolism at any one time.

Dragons featured in Germanic mythology and are usually associated with hoarding treasure which in a modern context could be seen as a reference to empire and HM Treasury.

There is no shame in being proud of your national flag. Those in England have every right to fly the flag of Saint George if they wish. But those who are adorning lampposts throughout England are not doing it out of pride but prejudice. The same mindset fly Union Flags in Northern Ireland in eyeshot of Irish Republican communities. This done to antagonise and intimidate. They also march through Catholic areas with the Orange Order waving Union Flags and thumping drums celebrating a Dutch King, William of Orange. Enough said. Just look at those present at these protests. Britain First, other known far-right groups, including NeoNazis. And yes, there are those with genuine concerns there, housing , suffering deprivation etc..... But they are attacking the wrong people. Can't they see this? The ones they should be attacking are the likes Nigel Farage, Boris Johnson, Robert Jenrick and other Conservatives responsible for Brexit that took us out of European Union. Any rise is asylum seekers ballooned after 2014. See we've always had control of our borders. Not being signed up to the Schengen Agreement had the right to return asylum seekers back to France. When we left that ended. And to those who are attaching themselves to a cause because they have racist tendencies, are Anti-Asylum seeker or Islamophobic. Listen and learn. The Flag of Saint George is not solely England's or is Saint George exclusively their saint. He is venerated in multiple countries throughout the world, in particular his namesake. Yes , you've guessed it. Georgia. Saint George was a Roman soldier , an ethnic Cappadocia Greek from Türkiye. He became the patron saint of England in 1348. On the other hand. The country of Georgia has had the Saint George cross symbol much much longer than the English. They were flying it as early as the 5th century. The Germanic Saxons led by asylum seeking Hengist & Horsa had not even sailed over in their little boats to our island. And it's only Wales out of all the home nations of Britain & Ireland who have a native born patron saint. We in Cymru have Dewi Sant (Welshman). The English , Saint George (Greek). The Irish Saint Patrick aka Maewyn Succat (Welshman). And Scottish, Saint Andrew (Jewish). As mentioned. The irony is. Those far-right supporting English are celebrate the life of a cultural asylum seeker themselves. George was not English, had no knowledge of England or the English, as both never existed when he was martyred in the year 303 AD in Lydda, Syria Palaestina, present day Israel, formerly known as Palestine. Oh to informed. Ignorance is bliss and they are blissfully ignorance. It only takes a little research to open your mind and gain answers you seek.