It's a Grand Old Flag

In honor of flag day, I wanted to mention something that occurred to me yesterday. Via the Corner, I ran across this blogpost from Stephen Pollard, a British columnist.

His essential point is to ridicule the people over in England having a hissy fit because the English are flying their flag (the St. George Cross, rather than the Union Jack, if I have it right). He makes the argument that the left over there is using the display of the flag as an indication of the social status and racism of the flag-wavers. There's also the big issue of the Muslims acting all offended over the cross, and claiming it's all about the crusades, etc.

I'm coming to the conclusion that there's a subset of people, most of them leftists, with some weird problem with the existence of independent nation-states. They want open borders to allow anyone to come in to any country from anywhere. They tout the universalism of mankind personhood, and how no one nation is of any more value than any other (cf the United Nations). The EU and the UN are their ideal organizations - one an inept, bureaucratic, United States of Europe, the other the largest kleptocracy known to man. In their idealized universe, there are no borders, there are no nations, just a giant political and social Pangaea where we all live in harmony and peace.

Needless to say, the first step on that path is the elimination of all symbols of national pride. With one nation the equivalent of all the others, what need could there be for a symbol to represent one separate nation? Besides, that's simply a sign of reactionary thinking, neanderthal global rednecks reveling in the sins their nation committed against other people. The Crusader's Cross oppressing Moslems, The Stars and Bars oppressing Black people, the Canadian Maple Leaf oppressing... oppressing... BEAVERS! Yeah, that's it. ([lefty]What? The Hammer & Sickle? The Crescent Flags of the Muslim nations? No oppression there, nosirree bob. Symbols of freedom and the universality of all peoples. No, I DO NOT know what happened to the Jews under Muslim rule. I imagine they all went to Palestine to oppress the terrorists freedom fighters [/lefty])

I recognize that Nationalism has its downsides. The Nazis are, of course, the best example of what too much pride and emphasis on the superiority of one nation can do to a body politic. But let's face facts here - that doesn't happen in most places, at least not recently. It is possible for nationalistic pride to be a bad thing. But pride in one's nation is not only healthy, I believe it is essential to the best functioning of any nation. If you are not proud of your country, you will not do your best to make it a good place to live. If you do not support your country, it holds no value to you. If no one loves their country, no one will be prepared to give their life for it in times of trouble.

I am proud of the United States of America. I believe that it is a great place to live, and the best place to succeed anywhere in the world. My flag at home, as on most sunny days, is flying proudly. I believe the English should fly the Cross of St. George, and support their nation proudly, even if it's just in honor of a meaningless football tournament. They should be honored to be members of the English nation, and show that honor as they wish.

Let the carpers have their way - these are not Nazi wannabes, whatever the elites think. They are proud members of their nation, and the elites should be ashamed that they cannot match that pride.