My ex from Norway mentioned how unusual it was that so many places and people here fly our flag (USA), so I was curious to hear what it’s like for others here on the fediverse.
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When I went to Norway I counted the flags I saw. I forget the exact number but I saw maybe 6 in the week I was there. Come back to the US I saw at least 20 coming back from the airport.
I’m from Spain, it’s not uncommon unfortunately, but that’s because the flag is appropriated by the right and far right and if you see someone with one you can be 90% sure of the type (homophobe, anti abortion, bullfighting supporter, climate change denier, etc etc)
It has become that way in the US.
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Flying your country’s flag soft implies that you like your country, liking your country soft implies that you support and enjoy the status quo of your country. Conservatives seek to preserve the status quo. Therefore, conservatives and supporters of the status quo will always have a greater connection to the flag than those who are marginalized in the same country.
Patriotism and nationalism have a strong association, independent of how people opposed to nationalism feel about it. Why would we want to adopt a symbol that is even loosely associated with nationalism or suggests contentness with the status quo if we want to significantly change the status quo?
I disagree progressives flying the flag enables the hate of the right. In fact, I feel the opposite; flying the flag normalizes nationalistic tendencies instead of making you look like an obsessed weirdo.
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To change what it implies, to change what it’s associated with, to change what it symbolizes.
The phenomena I describe is much broader than the US and the current time period. It has existed across time and cultures, implying that there are broader factors at play than the opinions and behaviors of contemporary US culture. Flag waving nationalism is damn near universal. Americans only differ by how universally people feel the need to wave the flag.
My greater point is that you can’t change what the flag symbolizes by having different opinions and flying the flag. Symbols are just that: symbols. To change what the flag means you must either change what the US does or change the flag. Embracing national symbols only emboldens nationalism if your nation isn’t diametrically opposed to nationalism.
“That’s ours, we own it and it represents our values. See it flying everywhere? That’s because we own this nation, we’re the one’s in charge here, not you”
This is quite literally true and always has been. You don’t see flags representing the Lakota or Seneca nations anywhere, and the 13 stripes are a direct hat nod to the European colonization wiped them out. The state will not stop systematically repressing indigenous, black, or other marginalized peoples if progressives suddenly start identifying with the flag. It will just make progressives look supporters or useful idiots to that state oppression.
Why would I want to prevent right-wingers from taking sole ownership of something intended to represent a state with long history of right-wing violence, slavery, and military interventionism? They can have it. It’s as perfect of a symbol for right-wingers as any other. Should we fly the swastika to reclaim it too?
Wanted to add to this, a couple other reasons why progressive-minded people wouldn’t want to fly the flag:
There’s inherent colonial symbolism in the 13 stripes on the flag, and flying it also can be seen as a celebration of colonial conquest over native lands.
If liberals regularly fly the flag, leaving only left-wing people who dislike the US as the only people not flying the flag, not flying the flag will actively become a political statement, placing a target on their backs, and becoming a reason to antagonize people just living their lives.
Could say the same about Germany
Everything except bullfighting goes for Croatia too, mostly.
The problem that the origin of our flag is dated in 1785 but because we were under the Dictatorship of Franco for 40 years, young people identifies the flag with that regimen (extreme right). But not everydody things that way 😏 🙄
I am from Germany and no one is raising a flag. Except he is a Nazi. Or it is soccer World Championship.
Southeast Brazil: Unless it’s the world cup you’re assumed to be a shithead
can confirm
I’m in Canada and would say it’s not extremely common, but enough so that I wouldn’t think twice if I saw the flag on a house. Maybe one in fifty houses has one.
Sometimes it’s on clothing too, but nowhere close to the extent that I’ve seen the American flag on everything when I’ve visited. You guys seem to really really like your flag!
We also have provincial flags which people will put on their houses, but the one I see most is for Newfoundland and Labrador, which is a different province than mine. It’s arguably close to as common as the Canadian flag.
Yup. I’d say the Canadian flag isn’t super common but isn’t out of the ordinary. I also don’t see people waving the flag and think the person must be some extremist nut job. Those ones are waving around “F*ck Trudeau” flags.
You must not be from out west. People here have flags on their cars (trucks actually mostly) and those people are Convoy idiots exclusively. And there are a lot of them. I don’t go a day without seeing at least one
I see confederate loser flags on trucks and shitty vehicles a fair bit in Alberta. Lots of fuck Trudeau flags, because western alienation is stronger than ever.
My country is a former colony of an imperial power so it’s flown all the time to reinforce our feeling of sovereignty
Are you in the US? 😁
no
What about now?
no
In Spain it’s extremely common to hang the flag on your balcony, especially since the pandemic. It’s also quite common to see younger people wearing bracelets of the spanish flag. I’m not really a fan of it but most people don’t do it for political reasons, it’s just nornalized, so I can’t really blame them.
Not in the Basque Country, and not in Catalonia, or Valencia, or…
Depending on the province, showing up with the Spanish flag can get you at least a keyed car, and at most a trip to the ER.
It is common here in Valencia region to see both the Spanish and Valencian flags. In Catalonia it is common to see their flag, especially in Barcelona.
I can’t speak for Basque and I’m only using my own observations & opinions.In the US I would most often be a sticker on the bumper/back of the car wirh the US then second most common would be country of origin (i assume) or confederate flag. Outside of the deep south you would mainly see US flags flying from houses, espartero 9/11.
During the 4th of July week(end) there are groups that set up placing small flags in lawns …it’s very interesting.
It’s actually become very common for people to mount flags in the bed of their truck or to the back of their car. Was relatively rare until Trump was elected President, then it became much more common. The most common is at/on houses. If a house has a flag pole of some kind, it’s almost always the US flag. If they have more than one, it’s usually followed by one of: military branch they or family serve(d) in, favorite sports team, or political statement (pride flag or Trump 2024 being most common in my part of the country).
But you are right about the 4th of July. US flags are plastered everywhere and people start to look at you weirdly if you don’t have one displayed somewhere. Part of the reason I’m glad I don’t really have neighbors now.
I lived in MD for a few years. The flag is everywhere. You can always tell someone from MD, no matter where you are, because the flag is incorporated into their clothing. I’ve never seen anything like it from anywhere else.
What does ‘MD’ stand for?
I assume Maryland USA .
The US state of Maryland.
Do Usain’s not realise that the rest of the world doesn’t know their local abbreviations?
I know American Defaultism is a thing, but I’m not one to complain when I see people use ON, NSW, etc., either. There are just more Americans online so you see it more.
I’m in Maryland and unsurprisingly have the state flag flying right now lol. It’s the only flag I usually have on the flag pole.
In the UK, you generally don’t see people flying the Union Jack unless its a major sporting event, or its a major governmental sort of building.
If anything, you’re probaby more likely to see the English, Scottish or Welsh (or NIish I assume, but never been there) flags than the Union Jack. Because the different nations have their own football teams (and other sports too), so they come out for the big international tournaments and some stay flying in between.
In the UK it’s very unusual unless it’s football or royal related. The union flag, the Welsh flag and the Scottish flag are ok most of the time but the England flag is seen as being a bit racist.
I see people with their county flag outside quite a bit out in the sticks
Yeah, thinking about it I reckon I see county flag about the same as national flag in England.
Would be nice if it was reclaimed from the football hooligan/EDL types, but the union flag serves well enough
In Brazil it’s more common now mainly because of the far right who appropriated it for themselves. Most will identify a person flying our flag as a Bolsonaro supporter, me personally like to stay clear of them.
It’s weirdly common in Denmark. People fly the national flag for birthdays, and some people even decorate the Christmas tree with flag guirlandes. It’s seen as an act of celebration rather than patriotism.
OP sounds strange to me I feel like all Scandinavians have their flag a lot, on birthday cakes and for graduations and such. I definitely experienced this in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.
About 3 days per year I think
I am from India. It was illegal to fly the flag untill a decade ago. It took a supreme court verdict to get the right to fly the flag in private residences. So it is not common at all. You would see government buildings and some schools hoist the flag every day. In my school it was every Friday. I have walked around suburbs in US and almost every house had a flag in their porch. Very big ones too.
