Whose Flag Is This, Anyway?

Starting about the time of early Ronald Reagan, the Republican Right played capture-the-flag with Old Glory. If you were a true patriot, you gave all your speeches before massed American flags and wore the symbol of one in your lapel. And, of course, to be a true patriot meant also that you were a member of the Republican Right. No other Americans admitted to the brotherhood and sisterhood of patriotism.

Predictably, this would come to an accusation -- what substitutes for serious debate these days -- that Senator Barack Obama was not wearing a flag pin and therefore, ipso facto, was no patriot.

So, here's a modest proposal. All of us who support Barack Obama for president should now wear flag pins. This will signal that we are all just as patriotic as anyone on the right. And it will signal that we are all for Obama. If we all do this, then when we see a flag pin we will know we are seeing another Obama supporter.

Go right out now and buy a pocketful of flag pins. Give them to all your friends. Show your support for America and for Obama. I've got mine on. It's our flag too!

But, you might ask, what about those flag wavers on the right? That's their problem.

Comments

[Jaxxon]

The fact that I'm live on US soil, pay taxes and vote (and continually to do so by choice) are just a few ways I show my patriotism to this country. My patriotism is something deep inside my soul. Why do I need to wear what's in my soul as an accessory? It's demeaning and "dumbing down" what is so very personal to many Americans.

[AtTheMoon]

I have a hilarious big bogus jewel encrusted flag pin i bought at the nixon library...i'll wear it from now on...even to bed

[Samson1]

Hey, anybody out there want to make a flag pin with the flag and Obama 2008 on it? That we could all wear. or it could be Take it back! Obama 2008.

[navarro]

I don't necessarily care one way or another about flags or flag pins, but it is unfortunate that it has become (to me at least) more a symbol of mindless nationalism than anything else. The argument about the accident of birthplace, however, does not entirely hold water, at least in the U.S. Many citizens were not born here, especially in the past, and they were no less fervent in their support of the U.S way of life than "accidental" citizens. Actually, the very fact that they left their homelands to come here is a testament to the greatness (or potential greatness) of the U.S. I'm not saying we're #1, but not all countries (or systems of government, anyway) are created equal.

[definitelyNOTmisterRIGHT]

navarro, beautifully stated. thanks, dNmR

[wondering]

Ah, emotional reactions are interesting things.

Switching one's allegiance from the country of birth to a new, adopted country is so wrenching, so difficult and painful, that the only way it can be successfully done is to blindly love the adopted country more strongly than the original. Thus, immigrants sometimes show a more fervent patriotism for their adopted country in order to prove to themselves, and every one else, that they really do love their new country more - and that they haven't made a terrible mistake. And, to conceal a deep sense of betrayal.

Hitler famously stated that new recruits to Nazism should be sought amongst Communists. He instinctively understood that when people tie their sense of self to irrational emotional belief systems, they will only be able to change those beliefs by adopting a new set of irrational beliefs even more strongly than the old. Thus, if a Communist switched to Nazism, they would be one of the most fervent supporters of the new belief system. So it is with patriotism (which is nothing more than the nice word we use for nationalism when it is our own) - if we are to deny our old irrational love of the country of birth, we must replace it with a stronger irrational love for the adopted country.

Try reading Eric Hoffer's "The True Believer."

[dawlishgal]

I have read it....it is a truly great book. Another good thing to read is "The Authoritarian Personality" by Adorno and Frenkel-Brunswick or the fairly recent book by John Dean about authoritarians.

Re the switching of allegiance and how hard it is....there is a lot of good work on consonance-dissonance theory that explains a lot. It is probably the only thing I learned in 4 years of social psych that is useful in my daily life.

[Rog49Thomas]

I think there are two issues regarding the switching of allegiances.

The first has to do with new entrants to a movement or new citizens in a country being "more Catholic than the Pope".

The second has to do with a subset of individuals whose particular psychological make up dispose them to the use extremist methods in the service of their ideologies. Folks who believe that at each point in their lives they have an open 24/7 pipeline to ontological truth (not available to their fellow citizens) and thus are doing the Lord's or "History's" work and may use any means to achieve that goal. People who believe the world is black and white. With their side definitely on the side of the angels (or "history") and their opponents the evil spawn of Satan.

One can think of examples of "famous" current day neocons who in their earlier lives were fervernt Trotskyites.

[readytsf]

Atta boy, Gary!! You tell 'em!! If we're not patriotic, at least in the home stretch of a presidential year, we can sure as hell act like we are!!! I got a great idea.....Act like you support the troops and the war on terror, too.....

[Crowhaul]

Sounds like somebody bought into the fallacy of the 'war on terror'....

[dawlishgal]

Of course, wearing a flag pin means that Republicans don't have to support the troops in any substantial way that might interfere with their tax cuts for the richest of the rich....NO to decent pay, educational benefits or clean hospitals.

I remember watching on C-Span early in the Iraq quagmire how the Republicans, every one of them, voted down a bill that would have given healthcare to wives and children of guardsmen who were serving in Iraq and had no health insurance. All of them....the flag wearers...they all voted against it.

Wearing the flag pin is WAY more than enough FOR REPUBLICANS . If the troops buy into it and think that kind of bogus crapola is "supporting the troops," then I am sorry for them.

[dawlishgal]

One more thing...how were the flag-wearers "supporting the troops" when they blamed "a few rotten apples at the bottom" for the prison camp behavior that has been proven to have been mandated from the top?

To me, it is simply staggering how Bush has managed to co-opt the military and use it for a propaganda tool for his administration at the same time he refuses to do anything REAL to help them. And anybody, military or civilian, who objects...hey, they are not supporting *the troops.*

[vippy]

Not supporting anything with such a crooked government that neglects the welfare of its people.
In the social standing we must be grouped with the 3rd world I am sure! Nothing to be proud of,
no flag again this year.

[sassafra]

gary,
since a central tenet of obama's candidacy is the restoration of honesty, ethical behavior, and candor/openness in government, why in the world would we want to in any way participate in the gop's stupid "flag pin == patriotic meme"? it's extremely hypocritical to wear a flag pin in response to the right's ignorant prodding if we believe the practice is essentially meaningless.
i have better ways to support obama than resorting to reacting to a stupid gop obfuscation by capitulation. we should resist being lured into playing the gop's ignorant games.

[wmbear]

I TOTALLY AGREE...

Hate to say this, but I think getting bent around the whole issue of wearing flag pins is pretty bogus to start with. To make a big deal out of it ourselves is to let the right-wing set the agenda the way liberals have been doing for too long. In fact, I think we ought to "aggressively" NOT wear flag pins precisely in order to demonstrate that it's a bogus issue, and we should announce this loud and long....

[returnofthejedi]

I agree. I apologize to any one that took my earlier comments literally. I had said that Democrats should wear a flag pin on one side, and a constitution pin on the other. To show repubs what they left home whilst wrapping up in the flag. I meant the comment to provoke thought to those that may fall for this phoney sybolism(to which I disagree). I just want to do all I can to free America from Idol Worshippers. The "LOVE" of money is the root of all evil, not the money itself. Money can be used for a constructive tool. Human beings are the source of love or hate so the real root of all evil( if you follow me) is human beings! Money in the hand of evil humans is just as dangerous as any other weopon. The same goes for the constitution, the military, and the minds of other human beings, black, white, red, yellow, and brown!

[definitelyNOTmisterRIGHT]

sassafra, you are 100% correct!

[dawlishgal]

I disagree....it is our flag too, and I think we have a right to take it back.

[jbatch]

OK, here's a confession -- I hate the lapel pin, and I'm not too fond of the flag, either.

A flag is a symbol, nothing more, nothing less. And since Nixon (remember "my country-- love it or leave it?) it has come to symbolize a jingoistic, xenophobic, belligerent, and intolerant place I don't recognize.

Perhaps we can take it back -- but until it symbolizes a country that is tolerant, committed to liberty and freedom (not simply the word, but the real existential condition of freedom), and peaceful, well, I'll take a pass on the whole flag thing.

I love my country, but it's not the country that piece of cloth has come to symbolize -- it's the one our founders envisioned.

[wbramh]

Another gross misuse of flags can be found at the Olympic Games - and American fans attending these games have historically won the Jingo Gold, Silver and Bronze.
The original Greek games were founded on individual achievement and not Nation v. Nation. The Greeks honored the athlete - not the sponsor. In fact , the participants performed naked. Maybe we should return to slightly more modest version of that concept by issuing unmarked white outfits to all of the athletes. Maybe the fans should be naked. If they're going to embarrass themselves we might as well spice up the show going on in the stands
Despots and bigots tend to impose or equate their personas on the larger community. Men like Bush and McCain are not America - the're just elected and temporary caretakers - and not unlike Nicholson's character, Jack Torrance in The Shining ... but less stable.

[JimR]

I'm going to wear a BIGGER flag pin than Republicans wear.

[Sciguy]

Sure, I'll buy flag pins and wear them and hand them out - Canadian flag pins. That way, I'll be able to proudly declare that I don't support the war in Iraq, do support green lifestyles, drive as little as possible, etc.

I think asking Obama supporters to wear US flag pins is a silly idea. I declare my patriotism every day by working and paying taxes rather than moving to another country. I do not, and will not, wear a US flag pin. If people like that - fine. If they don't - also fine. You see, I also demonstrate my patriotism by at least tolerating dissent. I also try to encourage rational thinking and discussion (as well as actual reading of the Constitution) as an American tradition, but that doesn't work so well nowadays. Such is life - in the US.

[Philphan]

Senator,
I like this idea, and have recently thought the same. I've not worn a flag pin for about six years, after the Iraq War began, although I admit that I had never worn one very often.
But I've also rarely flown a flag since the war began after having flown one daily following the attacks of 9/11.
Last week I bought a new flag for my home and proudly exhibited it on Flag Day.
Now I'll wear a pin again as well. It's time. We're already taking our country back with this extraordinary Obama campaign. Let's take the flag too while we're at it. At least share it once again, for it's meant to be the flag of all of us.

[oxford1]

Yes. I like this idea also. I will wear the flag pin and pass the word. I will let people know it represents Americans for Obama taking their country back . I've never had to wear my patriotism on my sleeve but I did know that I loved my country. I just didn't know how much. When I researched and learned more and more what these thugs had done to our beautiful America, I sobbed my heart out.

[oxford1]

i like this idea also .. i will start wearing it today.

[Rufusdog]

Americans, according to a political historian, have traditionally voted against all the weaknesses of the current President and for the strengths that they want (and deserve) in a candidate: intelligence, competence, common sense, openness, honesty, education, experience, etc.

It's no surprise that folks of all backgrounds and political stripes are coming behind Obama.

All these people are thinking, open minded Americans who can wear a flag pin, have a flag bumper sticker, fly a flag in the front yard or from their business or do whatever they wish to show that they are as American as those who blindly support the Bush Administration.

Like a veneer covering chip board, perhaps those on the right who wrap themselves in the flag don't want anyone to see the unAmerican activities, the mismanagement, the incompetence, the fiscal insanity, etc. that they have been engaged in.

We all want and deserve better. We need a President who will work on behalf of ALL Americans.

[definitelyNOTmisterRIGHT]

Rufusdog, excellent comment! keep up the good word! dNmR

[Waitaminute]

So what happen when some (Obama supporters) decide in the future, to stop wearing the flag? Will it be, how dare you, aren't you a patriot? People will forget why they started wearing the flag pins. Lets not start this. I personally don't give a SH** what these rightwing haters call me. I don't do what fools do.

[moreupnorth]

I find it very sad that any citizen thinks they have to prove their patriotism? It is even sadder that there are people out there that demand you do. Patriotism grows and can be seen when the people feel there country is good and righteous. It comes naturally and does not need to be forced.

[wondering]

Actually, it's quite the opposite - patriotism grows when people see there country as fascist and committing evil acts. If a country is good and righteous, the people don't have to defend the notion of their country by loving it blindly.

Because patriotism is nothing more than an emotional response to an accident of birth, there is no logic or thought underlying it. When we tie our sense of self to an irrational, emotional "thing" (country of birth, gods, etc.), any evidence that the thing in question is flawed is seen as a flaw in our selves. Thus, the more flawed the thing we associate with, the stronger we defend it to protect our sense of self. Otherwise we must admit that we have loved and supported an evil thing.

Anyone who gets in a huff over irrational nonsense like patriotism or religion would be well served to read one of the great books of the 20th century: Eric Hoffer's "The True Believer".

[BufordTvoter]

Yes, wear a tiny American flag on your shirt. It's the absolute least thing you can do.

[ribe8g]

Oh, please...
I'm a citizen supporting Barack Obama for president.
I'm a veteran of the misguided war against Vietnamese people in '60s, '70s.
Got to level with you right about now - I'm not a flag waver and I'm not a patriot.
I'm a citizen. Period.