Is the Union Jack racist?

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Eamonn Holmes had a bit of an argument with a guest on GB News as to whether the Union Jack is racist.

I understand that the George Cross is associated with the Far Right but had never associated the Union Jack with racism.

Apparently people at a village hall in Norfolk didn't want to be accused of racism for flying the British flag.

I think it's madness, what do you think?

https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/eamonn-holmes-gb-news-union-jack-b2595611.html

When it was the Platinum Jubilee, it was the Muslims on our road who had the most Union Jack bunting out and arranged the street party.

Racist right-wingers love to make a big thing of "We can't even fly our flag nowadays for fear of being accused of racism, mumble mumble woke, mumble mumble free speech". Yet when you point out that people happily show both Union Jacks and St George's flags all over the place all over the time, especially around big sports tournaments, with precisely no racism accusations being made at all, they tend to go very quiet.

They do adore claiming they are being persecuted, and really struggle to cope when called out on it.

It's only peddled as being racist by the right wing ironically who tell us "someone will be offended by that".

But we aren't because you can be brown and British. Imagine that.

In my part of N Yorkshire you see quite a few Yorkshire flags, but not so many Union Jacks.

Most countries in the world have their own national flags. The flags themselves are not racist.

In my experience the only people who say it is racist are those who also think Christmas has been banned, and other things that haven't happened. I don't know anyone who has an issue with the flag.

But many do though. Spain, Portugal, France, Belgium etc..

Britain itself was invaded many times. Some Welsh, Irish and particulary Scots played a large part in the British Empire and were involved with some of the worst atrocities or profited from colonisation. It seems disingenuous to only blame the English. We can't rewrite history because it doesn't suit our narrative.

That's a myth that refuses to die!

No, a Union Jack is called that on land, at sea and in the air. Its actually not a naval flag and it was called the Jack 150 years before a jackstaff on a ship was even invented.

The Jack part comes from Jacobus which is Latin for James. King James VI of Scotland and I of England ordered the creation of the first Union Jack.

It was named after him being called The King's Jack and His Majesty's Jack before Union Jack stuck from 1674 onwards.

It's a Royal flag. So, it's a Union Jack anywhere and the name had nothing to do with Royal Navy ships. Even the 1902 Royal Navy Circular said Union Jack and Union Flag is correct irrespective of where the flag was located.

Well the flag is a symbol of nationalism. And nationalism is racisms cousin. So yes there is a link

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopold_II_of_Belgium

The Belgians had a horrible past

The ol' butcher's apron? ;-) I can take or leave it to be honest, but then overt shows of patriotism tend to leave me a bit cold. I appreciate not everyone is the same, however.

Bloody hell, why hasn't the Buckingham Palace gift shop been raided for inciting racial hatred?

As for those Gold Medal winning Olympians? 5 years for them all. No if not buts.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_colonial_empire

The Dutch don't have a lot to be proud of either (especially since the Olympics)

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_East_India_Company

More on the Dutch

Other countries wave their flags with pride. But we can't wave ours with pride without coming across as racist.

I despair sometimes, genuinely. Sucks the joy out of everything.

No it's not.

But racists do try to wrap themselves in it and the George cross.

Just as nationalists try to claim the saltire as their own.

No it isn't.

"The flag is a symbol of nationalism" is as much a personal opinion as "the flag is a symbol of racism".

No national flag is automatically a symbol of nationalist feeling.

National flags are symbols of countries. That's all.

Agree with the majority, the flag itself isn't racist but the way it's used can be.

I know if I see "unofficial" union jacks here in NI that it means I'm not welcome.

I don't know the council being discussed, but if it were in an area with a lot of anti immigration or anti Muslim "protestors" and/or a significant immigrant or Muslim population, and the council chose this month to start flying the flag then I can see why eyebrows may be raised.

@spuddy4 "Absolutely ridiculous. I also don't understand why people who fly the English flag are always deemed as racist but here in Wales we are seen as patriotic if we fly ours"

Presumably because the far right and the racists haven't appropriated it.....

No country has clean hands.

If only the English/English flag are ever targeted like this then to my mind that is racism/bigotry in and of itself.

This is exactly what DH and I have said recently. It's as if we should be ashamed from being from the UK and should be continually apologising for the past.

Well that's the point I'm making. Fly the union jack if you want, we've done well this summer in the sport!

That's why I said I don't like Nationalism OR needless shows of patriotism.

To be fair, she only gets to be a professional victim because places like GB News get her on to say this stuff. They wouldn't have her on if she gave a reasonably nuanced opinion or said "you know what, this time I think you are right". Its her job to give an outrageous opinion that the host can counter and everyone else can rage watch. Like a reverse Katy Hopkins.

There have been militant Welsh nationalists tbf.

It's daft to tar everyone with the same brush though. We wouldn't do it with other nations or races so if people want to fly the Union Jack or English flag that's entirely their choice.