What's With the Flags

[projuicehealth]

It seems every minister who is interviewed on TV has a Union Jack flag in the background.
AIBU to think there is something a little more sinister to this than a sign of being patriotic? I wonder and worry about subliminal brain washing / hypnosis.
I'm concerned that all ministers are going along with it, are they afraid not to?
Johnson did very well keep repeating the mantra "Get Brexit Done" without much substance of how, why or implications.
I wonder if there is more concern about the break up of the United Kingdom in the government and the flags are a visual symbol of our unity, real or imagined.

Well, if it’s such a shit place, vote with your feet.
What’s wrong with being patriotic? The UK flag has meaning and is respected round the world, why should we be ashamed of our country?
And the Scots can piss off and see how they get along on their own, if that’s what they really want. Previous threads would suggest that there are many Scots who would not welcome independence.

To all the flag bashers, which flag would you rather put up?

Netflix?
UN?
Amazon?

Which one?

@Lalliella

They’re trying to convince us that the UK is a fab country to be proud of, when actually it’s the shit-end of nowhere after Brexit.

Ah so I’m guessing people won’t try and come here will they. Oh no hang on.....

@tangerinelollipop

To all the flag bashers, which flag would you rather put up?

Netflix?
UN?
Amazon?

Which one?

I'd rather put up none. I don't give a fuck what other people choose to do or which flag they choose to fly on their own property. I object to being forced or coerced to display anything. I'm not saying anybody is being forced, mind you.

Well, if it’s such a shit place, vote with your feet

May well have done that had the likes of you (I assume, given the Brexity timbre of your post) not voted to end our freedom of movement.

I think it's an American thing that's crept over here. A lot of EU countries do it too.

If they want to fly the UJ, I'd prefer they ironed it first.
What I'm sick of is box fesh nylon flags complete with packing creases.

@Riv

It’s what the Union Flag is being used to represent that I find worrying.

Just to be pedantic (or maybe it’s ironic) but the Union Flag is only officially a Union Jack when flown on a war ship when it’s out of the harbour!

Not so. If you read further than the first few lines of Google, you will find that this is no longer the case; either term is correct. ( Act if Parliament, etc ) 🙂

@TempsPerdu

Well, if it’s such a shit place, vote with your feet

May well have done that had the likes of you (I assume, given the Brexity timbre of your post) not voted to end our freedom of movement.

Oh my lord!!! I really shouldn’t respond to that, but that is outrageous. I voted to remain. I am proud of being British. Ok?

Hospitals and government linked buildings have been instructed to put up the flag too

Interestingly they're not required to be flown outside food banks though.

I don’t think it’s appropriate in the UK where a lot of people identify more strongly with their own nations, and it’s more likely to wind people up than make them feel part of something.
Again it’s tone deaf. Not surprising really considering this Government.
And before anyone jumps in, I fucking loathe Labour too.
This recent hard on for the Union Jack in the context of the more Authoritarian measures pushed through is a bit worrying.

Q. What sort of people surround themselves with flags in their own homes?
A. Nonentities like Grant Shapps.

What do you mean by “own nations”? Wales, Scotland and northern Ireland?
I’m English but I was born and grew up in Wales so I identify with both.

@ceilingsand

It's hideous. I don't believe for a moment that the MPs themselves are personally patriotic. It's about chasing cheap populism a la Trump,and Johnson's vast ego.

Absolutely 100% this.

I've seen this whole "flagshagger" thing trending in Twitter. There's a certain irony that accusations of it come from those with the EU flag and/or their own (usually Scottish or Welsh) bio or usernames.

What's wrong with loving being British?

Because it comes with an odd arrogance about it, one not earned. Many people don't identify as mainly 'British' regardless, that's just a collective term. I'm not entirely sure what qualifies as being British as a singularity - what sort of things do you have to 'love' about it? I can identify with being Welsh, the language, the culture, the traditions - some I love, some... not so much, but it gives me an inherent sense of being Welsh as I'm sure others have being English, Scottish, or even Bangladeshi or Polish or any other nationality living in the UK.

Being 'British' is vague, a bit like a boxing-in term similar to BAME or LGBT. Grouping everyone together regardless of personal values and goals.

@Knitterbabe Fine, well I reserve the right not to be. You can’t force someone to feel patriotic by waving a flag in their face. And I feel that the U.K. is a populist shithole right now, and rapidly descending the slippery slope towards authoritarianism.

A lot of EU countries do it too

Every country does it (shock horror!)

I've seen this whole "flagshagger" thing trending in Twitter

Well, what do you expect? It's the preferred platform for mobbing activism with agendas

Being 'British' is vague

What do you mean by 'vague'? It has a proper definition

@tangerinelollipop

Being 'British' is vague

What do you mean by 'vague'? It has a proper definition

Of course it has a definition . I'm referring to you saying 'what's wrong with a love of being British*'. What identity to being British is there that's apparently 'oh so special' and suddenly requires the UJ being flown from every building in sight? A flag, I will once again say, that doesn't even represent every country in Britain....

If people wish to and care so much about being British and whatever that means to them, well good for them. The UK as a whole is a good country (that has made some severe political mistakes over the last 5 years, but here's hoping we can recover). We're all very different though, and this stereotypical idealisms of being 'British, Hoorah, Spiffing Good Times, Blitz Spirit, God Save The Queen!' is really a bore and not representative of us collectively or internationally anymore.

@TempsPerdu You are not the only one.

I wonder and worry about subliminal brain washing / hypnosis.

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Intentionally done to stir up patriotism in the types who read and believe everything in the Daily Mail. Keep them happy and blaming forriners and scroungers for all their woes, and less attention to paid to all the corruption and awful decisions and budget cuts being made by the government

As a country we wanted Brexit, lets get free of the EU, we are British etc. etc. Ok, rightly or wrongly we left the EU. Lets be proud we are British, lets fly the flag. But no hang lets main about that now

Generally people are miserable twats

The Tories are wrapping themselves in the Union Jack because they know that lefties can’t help themselves sneering at it and can’t help themselves sneering at the people who take pride in it.

This sneering, the Tories believe, will repel patriotic working class voters who don’t hate their own country and don’t hate their own flag, making them more likely to decide that the Conservative party represents their values.