The Thinking’ Kat: What’s in a Flag?
Lately, there has been an explosion of people putting up the St George’s Cross, or the Union Jack, across various locations around the country. The belief seems to be that by putting up the flags the country can somehow be reclaimed, though from what is unclear. It’s also not clear how flags are supposed to do this.
Apparently, to have a flag, or paint it upon a roundabout (leaving aside the hilariously unfortunate case of people painting the Danish flag by mistake) is a display of patriotic pride, a call to arms, an opportunity to beat one’s chest in a display of nationalistic fervour. As already expressed, why is this going on? Who feels the need to offer up these demonstrations of pride?
It seems there is a certain section of UK society that wants to recapture Britishness (whatever that is). They want Britain to be for Brits, whoever they are. Of course, we all know the subtext, even if the subtext allegedly gives way to an ugly word. The ones who are singing loudest about these performative gestures are virtually invariably white men, and they do not display patriotic love – they are more interested in racial pride. There, I said it. I spoke the undesirable truth behind many of these flag-waving performances.
The unfortunate fact is that the St George’s Cross in particular has been an historic symbol for the far right. They wielded it in the late 1970s, and stained it with what is in fact a distinctly un-British attitude. Since then, the flag has made a recovery, often used as a symbol during football tournaments, but that unsavoury connection to far right extremism has remained, and this has not be aided by the anti-migrant marches recently seen in this country.
Does Britain have a migrant problem? That depends. Have there been some high-profile cases of migrants attacking and hurting people? Yes. These are horrible instances, and those who perpetrated those crimes should be punished. Where the flag-wavers fall silent is when their own rank and file commit similar, terrible deeds. Far right groups use misogyny as a recruit tool. These same groups only protest violence toward women when it comes from ethnic minorities, suggesting their motive is not about the safety of women, but rather about demonising and ‘othering’ anyone who is not white. The media speaks to us of grooming gangs, yet there are groups of white men who are just as awful as any ethnic minority gang, and you don’t see the flag-wavers protesting their influence.
As to the broader, more generic complaints about immigration, I would suggest people look to how many immigrants have successfully integrated into our society, becoming doctors, dentists, delivery drivers, and a whole lot more. They willingly and happily contribute to this country, yet face being ostracised by ignorant fools who believe waving the flag makes them more patriotic than those who work for their communities. I would much rather have immigrants for neighbours than far right flag wavers, especially given the aggressive posturing of the latter.
In the end, this entire affair is one huge smokescreen. Remember that famous cartoon, where a rich banker takes nine out of ten cookies, then tells the worker that the immigrant is after their cookie? That’s us. That’s UK society, right now. The biggest problems in this nation have nothing to do with immigration. They never did.
