My ex from Norway mentioned how unusual it was that so many places and people here fly our flag (USA), so I was curious to hear what it’s like for others here on the fediverse.
I am from Germany and no one is raising a flag. Except he is a Nazi. Or it is soccer World Championship.
That’s kind of sad. It’s getting that way in Canada. Trudeau has called people every ism and ist when they are carrying a Canadian flag that people don’t fly it very much.
It’s not perceived as sad because it’s just something most people have no desire to do. Flags just aren’t a super common decoration you see outside of store advertisements and official government buildings. “I should install a flag pole on my property” is already a rare thought in most places and a lot of people then rather put a flag about something that is special to them on there. In line with that thought, being German in Germany obviously isn’t that special, so it’s usually not your choice of “displaying something that is special to me” unless you have a right-wing mindset. You’ll more often see football teams, maybe music bands and the more rare political issue here and there, like “stop nuclear power plants”.
German here. No, we don’t do that here. (Exceptions: Football World Cup and weird dudes on camp sites or allotment gardens. Usually a sign to avoid the area.) Interestingly, the fascists don’t show the German flag, but the one from the Germany before the current one…
Whats the matter with camping sites? Saw that too
I … have no idea. Really.
I’m from Spain, it’s not uncommon unfortunately, but that’s because the flag is appropriated by the right and far right and if you see someone with one you can be 90% sure of the type (homophobe, anti abortion, bullfighting supporter, climate change denier, etc etc)
The problem that the origin of our flag is dated in 1785 but because we were under the Dictatorship of Franco for 40 years, young people identifies the flag with that regimen (extreme right). But not everydody things that way 😏 🙄
It has become that way in the US.
That’s because we let them have it, along with all the other symbols of hate they have. The moment the right takes a hold of something, progressives for the most part go all M.C. Hammer on it and say “we can’t touch this”. We’re literally enabling the hate we’re trying to fight by allowing it to have symbols because it empowers that hate and that’s why they don’t want the Pride flag flying next to the American flag, because it dilutes their perceived control over it.
Flying your country’s flag soft implies that you like your country, liking your country soft implies that you support and enjoy the status quo of your country. Conservatives seek to preserve the status quo. Therefore, conservatives and supporters of the status quo will always have a greater connection to the flag than those who are marginalized in the same country.
Patriotism and nationalism have a strong association, independent of how people opposed to nationalism feel about it. Why would we want to adopt a symbol that is even loosely associated with nationalism or suggests contentness with the status quo if we want to significantly change the status quo?
I disagree progressives flying the flag enables the hate of the right. In fact, I feel the opposite; flying the flag normalizes nationalistic tendencies instead of making you look like an obsessed weirdo.
Wanted to add to this, a couple other reasons why progressive-minded people wouldn’t want to fly the flag:
There’s inherent colonial symbolism in the 13 stripes on the flag, and flying it also can be seen as a celebration of colonial conquest over native lands.
If liberals regularly fly the flag, leaving only left-wing people who dislike the US as the only people not flying the flag, not flying the flag will actively become a political statement, placing a target on their backs, and becoming a reason to antagonize people just living their lives.
Canada: VERY common and considered standard practice, we like to make fun of the Americans for being obsessed with their flag but overall we’re just as bad. It’s also flown by Nazis as often as the American flag is.
Australia: Very unusual. I’ll see someone doing it maybe once a month and always think “fucking weirdos”. It’s more common to see Aboriginal flags, but still uncommon
It’s more common to see bogans using it as part or their beach or BBQ attire (eg, maybe an Australian flag stubby cooler)
It’s weirdly common in Denmark. People fly the national flag for birthdays, and some people even decorate the Christmas tree with flag guirlandes. It’s seen as an act of celebration rather than patriotism.
Canada here, not very common until you get close to Canada day or Armistice day. Recently though; there have been people flying it a lot and they mostly seem to be the conspiracy/queen of Canada types.
So yes, it is unusual. Perhaps it can be seen as a symptom of American nationalism, and all the pitfalls it represents.
Here in Netherlands, it is tradition fly the flag with a backpack hanged on it when you graduate.
Australian here. Outside of official government uses, it’s generally a sign that someone is a racist fuckwit.
UK here. A UK flag is only flown from govt buildings unless it’s some royal event or football but then it’s usually the individual national flag such as England, Scotland, Wales, etc
The union flag & the St George cross (Englands flag) were co-opted by the far right in the 70s so flying one outside of the occasions named above had other people mark you as a bit of a nationalist & to be weary of you.
From the US, I see American flags everywhere.
Some small towns have a flag on every electrical pole on their main street. It used to just be around Memorial Day and the 4th of July, but a lot of towns seem to be leaving them up year round.
A huge proportion of houses in US suburbs and rural areas have flags flying. If you have wealth or a big chunk of land, it’s pretty certain you also have a flag flying or prominently displayed on your property. Less frequent on the porches of more modest homes.
Pickup trucks fly flags (sometimes multiple) attached to their beds. These trucks often also have punisher stickers, human skulls, or “thin blue line” flag stickers on them.
Most medium to large businesses have a flag pole on their campus.
I definitely see fewer flags in cities, but still see a lot of flag stickers on storefront windows, and flags in apartment bedroom windows.
Northern Germany here. The German flag is usually only flown at government or other public buildings or, as another commenter said, when there’s a special occasion such as an international football match.
Something a bit more common up here seems to be flying the state flag (blue, white and red), which can be seen in private gardens or on some residential buildings.
In Scotland, it tends to indicate your political beliefs. People flying the Union Jack are normally unionists and supporters of the monarchy, whereas people flying the Saltire (Scottish) flag are normally nationalists (pro-independence). It’s therefore difficult to fly a flag ‘neutrally’ unless you were to fly both.
Tends to be the same case in England with people flying the St George’s cross and the Union Jack
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usually its the churches and during the world cup we see St George’s cross, it’s more of the Union Jack or Ukraine flags here in suburb London.
In Germany its pretty much only Nazis, Rightwing people and the Bundeswehr, so also often right wing people
Burger here. You’re considered a freak if you don’t have a flag flying. Then again, I do live in a white suburb.
