Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2023/07/07
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I 100% share Brian?s memory here. The time forever soured my taste for flag and patriotism.The MAGA crowd continues the same theme, emphsizing large US flags flown from pick-up trucks and paired with flags for their cult leader. All in all, I fear that it is all part of a program to inflate nationalism and our delusion of ?exceptionalism.? Sorry, it?s just hard to be optimistic in the face of the international rising of autocracies. ric > On Jul 5, 2023, at 10:59 PM, Brian Reid <reid at mejac.carlsbad.ca.us> > wrote: > > My experience and memory is that the US flag became a right-wing political > symbol in the end and aftermath of the Vietnam war. There were fierce > anti-war protests in the USA in the late 1960s, and many pro-war > protesters insisted that anti-war protestors were un-American and hated > their country. Those who disagreed with the anti-war protests began > wearing flag pins in their clothing, putting flags and flag decals on > their cars, and being publicly scornful of anyone who did not. These flag > pins and decals supposedly said "I love my country and you don't". > > The most popular magazine in the USA, Reader's Digest, included a flag > decal in their February 1969 issue, with instructions to show it proudly > as evidence that you supported the Vietnam war. Singer-songwriter John > Prine soon released a hit song entitled "Your Flag Decal Won't Get You > Into Heaven Anymore", which ridiculed the Readers Digest effort. Its > lyrics began "While digesting Reader's Digest in the back of the dirty > book store/A plastic flag with gum on the back fell out on the floor/Well, > I picked it up and I went outside And stuck it on my window shield..." > > From my point of view it was that conflict over the value and meaning of a > flag decal to indicate support for the Vietnam war that was the beginning > of hyperemphasis on the US flag. Instead of just being a flag, it was a > political symbol. > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information