Ah, cake...or death? I have seen the Union Jack flag on everything. I can see how annoying that would be. But hey, the American flag is on everything too. Generally the people in the USA who wear flag attire are some very ultra conservative god and country people. Which is really funny if you think about it. They freak out if anyone burns the flag, rips it or uses it for anything other than to fly, or drape over the casket of a "hero". But then companies can screen print it on everything from socks to hair accessories to horribly unattractive shirts sold at Wal Mart and that's OK to them. To me, it doesn't bother me either way. I know the history of my own flag, and if it's put on whatever I don't care. The funny thing about the USA and flags are the rebel flags LOL. The south still feel separated and you still have those that fly the confederate flag HAHA. You will see it on everything, my personal favorites are when they use rebel flag beach towels or throws as curtains for their homes. So the Brits aren't the only ones with issues about how their flag is used. I don't feel any pride in the USA when I see a flag. I look around with everyone with their hands over their hearts and think they are sheeple. Except for old soldiers, especially war vets. The flag has a whole other meaning to them. Mostly it brings back memories of the men who died in vain for a corrupt government, but generally unless they are brainwashed soldiers they don't think they were dying to protect the flag. That's some republican propaganda feel good crap. And the pledge of allegiance in the schools were forced upon the children at the start of the cold war to unite and brain wash our children against communism. They inserted "one nation under god" to combat what our government kept saying was evil, atheistic communism. Communists can be atheists, but atheists aren't communists. So, that's a bit of a window into the issues we have with the flag in the USA.
I think of a Nat Geo photo I recently saw of a modern day lakota holding the flag upside down. And I think of the flag my family received after my dad's funeral. He was a Vietnam vet. He acquired a nifty interest in heroin over there and had a lot of issues from the war he carried around his whole life. And I think of the flag my family received when my grandfather died. He landed on the beaches of Normandy. His battle is generally regarded as more honorable but the war affected him and his family life just as negatively as the next major war affected my dad. And I think of wal mart, because nothing is sacred and everything is a potential marketing ploy. My favorite flag is the don't tread on me flag.
^ yea I have to admit, seeing something like the following brings up a lot more emotion than the stars and stripes.....
When I look at the flag I think of imperialism. And the misdeeds following various acts of imperialism. Every country has shameful aspects of their past, but I feel as though America's are highlighted due to it's present condition. Although I will admit I am biased, because I don't live in the states, but I am an American, (although I can't say I'm proud to be.) Looking at Germany, they have a huge stigma associated with their country (even though the Holocaust was in many other countries as well), but they've paid their dues (literally, they paid off ALL of their war debt), and they are an economically strong country with their shit together. I don't thing America is a bad country, it could be worse, but the flag does not really inspire the feeling of respect when I look upon it. It saddens me, more than irritates.
