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Flags in politics

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Last modified: 2008-02-23 by antónio martins
Keywords: politics |
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See also:

“Anti-” flags

Vexillographically these consist usually of a well-known flag design with additional or substituted elements.
António Martins, 20 Nov 2005

We have seen plenty anti-american flags, a few anti-EU, an anti-afghan, probably the anti-israeli one with a swastika.
Jorge Candeias, 20 Nov 2005

Are anti-something (mock and/or derrogative) flags (or flag designs) always political in nature? For example, while a hunting flag is (or may be) not political, is an anti-hunting flag always political?… I’d say it is, based on a (broad) definition of politics.
António Martins, 20 Nov 2005

Yes, I would say that they are too, because those that use them are trying to make a point and influence public policy, albeit sometimes in a broad context and a rather vague manner.
Colin Dobson, 21 Nov 2005

And I’d agree. Because if you oppose something enough to actively protest against it and fly derogative flags about it, that means you want that thing supressed or significantly changed and that’s intrinsically political. Derogative flags have always a strong political bend. They are flown when people flying them want an entity or activity supressed, its policies changed, new restrictive legislation inforced against it or some other sort of major change about it.

There’s an exception, though: when they are used as jokes. But even in that situation the joke often satirizes political aspects about the target entity or activity. Not always, but often.

Jorge Candeias, 20 Nov 2005


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