To ask those who are not white brittish how they feel about the flags?

[PicaK]

Birmingham and Tower Hamlets are having St George England flags put up by privately funded groups.
I'm horrified by the implicit racism. I've seen a lot of white people applauding this and "time we took back the country" comments.
I haven't seen many non white people commenting. My feel is that they are too intimidated to do so. Am I right? Or is it indifference or is it that you're dealing with racism on a daily level and this is just one more thing.
Please don't post if you're white.whatever you feel about the flags. I want to hear on white viewd

So.... That makes their people in 2025 accountable? And that makes you think of those followers of a nutcases regime when you look at their flag?

You said

"So you believe German civilians were at fault ? Wow!"

"were at fault" therefore talking about the civilians at the time, not now.

You're just moving the goalposts when presented with facts.

Are you trying to silence my right to free speech? I suggest you move on, if you are not happy.

Ok. I personally don't believe the heart of the fault lays with German civilians. It was a dictator who was evil that orchestrated the lot. Done people do terrible terrible things because they are utterly petrified of the leader. So ultimate blame lays with the cunt we call Hitler

It's very easy to point the finger at one man, and say it's all his fault. But that ignores the collaborators, facilitators, direct perpetrators, and the ones who benefitted from the properties stolen from Jews. It's a simplistic and basic view.

Please read some of those books, learn more about it. One of them is even online, you don't need to buy it

https://archive.org/details/B-001-014-069

@SquishedMallow How do you suppose that dictator came to power? How were the conditions made right for that to happen?

I happen to think the German people did a blimmin good job post war of coming to terms with what they and their parents did or allowed to happen. And are to be applauded for that. But to say I personally don't believe the heart of the fault lays with German civilians. It was a dictator who was evil that orchestrated the lot displays an alarming lack of education on the subject.

We're a long way from the 1930s now, but I was born just thirty years after Kristalnacht, and my parents and grandparents' memories stretched back to the war and pre war period. There's no way they would have accepted that German civilians were entirely innocent bystanders.

They elected him! A minority government who despised Jews and quickly put in camps for undesirables. Some German people thought it was a good idea. Some still do. Nazi Germany was an elected government.

No, our flag doesnt have rascist connotations except to the English. I used to like our flag but now im ashamed to see it. It just reminds me of the yes to independence mob

This is a really odd comment.

First off you acknowledge that the St George’s cross has become a symbol of far right activism and sentiment (otherwise you wouldn’t say we should reclaim it so it’s not a far right thing).

You then accuse people who object to that symbol of xenophobia of ‘hating their country’.

Would also suggest that maybe you don’t feel threatened by the visibility of the far right on our streets and in our communities, because you don’t belong to one of the minority group they have targeted with their violence.

But in the same vane, we can say that the Palestinian's voted in Hamas in 2006 and Hamas hates Jews. So, the Palestinian's knew that when they voted in Hamas, they were voting in someone who wants to persecute Jewish people.

^This 💯. Without widespread support from within the German population, the Nazi regime wouldn’t have been able to do what they did to the Jews. It was widely known that Jews were being sent to ghettos and then concentration camps.

Not really. The power imbalance is vast between Israel and Gaza. A more apt analogy is that the UK elects a government that persecutes say Muslims, and then decides a year or so later no elections are needed.

The point is that the Nazis won a popular vote. A lot of people agreed with their ideas.

I’m not white British but Asian. Born here, lived here all my life. Parents were immigrants that came over in the 1960s. Absolutely love this country.

To me, the St George’s flag isn’t racist per se as it’s a bit of material. It’s just there’s just such a strong connotation with football hooligans and the far right so that’s what I associate with it. The Union Jack flag on the other hand to me at least is a thing of beauty. It doesn’t have the same connotations to me. When I see the Union Jack, I think of the monarchy, last night at the proms, the Olympics, festivals, VE Day, sporting and music endeavours, expeditions etc. Fills me with love and pride and represents everything wonderful about this country. I have union jacks in my classroom on my British great scientists display.

I agree completely that modern day Germans are not guilty for the crimes of their grandfathers.

However, the Germans have done a lot of soul-searching since the war. They haven’t shied away from examining how the rise of the Nazis came about. They could easily have said “That wasn’t our generation, don’t blame us”, but they have tackled it head on to make sure it never happens again. It is very admirable.

I am a women, l don’t have to justify that to you on this thread, as far as l’m aware, neither does anyone else on MN.My life hasn’t been precious actually, l have been on the receiving end of being sexually assaulted by 2 men, who were Asian, does it mean l hate all Asian people, of course not, because l know, it was a one off, as awful as it was, this could have happened to anyone, not just me and this doesn’t reflect on all Asian people.
My comment stands, on 1 experience you’re tarring everyone with the same brush and now anyone who’s patriotic about England are in the wrong and it disgusts you.
You are, putting yourself on a pedestal, you said with your flawless educational record, not a parking ticket to your name, you’ve apparently contributed more to taxes, good deeds and charity acts, to all colours in the uk!! Hmm if that’s not putting yourself on a pedestal, l don’t know what is.
Who am l? I’m a British citizen, who’s proud to be British, who respects every nationality and doesn’t sit in judgment! And when l travel to different countries, l’m respectful to all cultures.
Goodness your comment to me, completely over the top! Go and vent somewhere else, with your pent up anger.

Upthread I listed some of the things that made me proud to be British - from music to literature to landscapes and events and from sporting wins to scientific breakthroughs. The flag is a teeny part of that, and only when attached to one of those royal or sporting or saints events.

My question to those who find the flag a vital part of their identity and patriotism is this: what else makes you feel patriotic and proud of your country?

I'm so sorry to hear that. 😢 As a white British person, I'm oblivious because I don't hear anyone saying anything racist, but people of colour tell a different story. It's pretty alarming.

When you found Britain to be racist, was it like people yelling insults on the streets, or was it more subtle, like being passed over for promotion that you'd have been great for?

It's extremely safe compared to some of the countries that the immigrants are coming from. It's not a war zone or a country ruled by a bloodthirsty dictator, for a start. But that doesn't mean there isn't racism.

So the British flag is racist?

Agreed. And don't fly the flag of your country either. It offends me.
Unbelievable! The uproar there would be if this was the other way around.

But this is MN, the spiritual home of hypocrisy, if you're not toeing the party line on any topic the Report button is hot!

The reason behind this sudden wave of patriotism seems to be.

I’m glad I’m Welsh and we can fly our flag without being accused of racism. I’ve never understood why the English beat themselves up so much over a flag and the rest of the UK proudly fly theirs.

I don’t understand the link between certain groups and the English flag either. The Welsh independence movement use ours and even though I don’t agree with what they stand for it doesn’t taint the flag in any shape or form. One group of people doesn’t own a national flag and disapproving of people who display it is madness.

The disapproval over the English flag has been going on for years, let’s not pretend it’s a new problem.

The thread is about people putting up flags on council property which I'm referring to.

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