Is The British Flag Racist?

[witherwing]

What isn't racist in today's society. 🙄 People like to get offended by anything these days.

[CountessSarah]

But... All flags are 'adopted' by the far right. This is a problem of nationalists of all stripes, and is in no way a problem specific to Britain.

[Lillyroses234]

I'm Indian and my country was colonized by the British for 200 years.
I don't care about the flag but don't deny your history.

[OldSchool_Metalhead]

At this point everything is racist. Someone may even see this comment and think its racist lmao

[GayHowellMeme]

Yes, of course it is

[Anonymous]

Yes the union Jack also known internationally as the butchers apron is a historic symbol of theft, rape and genocide.

[Cammy137]

A flag is a flag. It only has as much meaning as people apply to it.

[madhatters4]

some may utilize or appropriate for a cause that is racist. it doesn't make the flag racist. the flag is a flag. objects cannot exert personal feelings. but they can be appropriated by people to represent a sentiment.

the swastika symbol. it has no personal convictions but is sanskrit for well wishings. of course it was appropriated for a much different purpose

obviously the English flag is not at that level but people should be concerned when people fly a flag for reasons that may not represent it's intent

[nightdrot]

The short answer is "No," but of course, we live in the age of the symbology of symbols. So people invest in symbols the meaning that they choose - as opposed to the one that the maker of that symbol intended - and then proceed to respond according to that subjective understanding.

In the case of the British flag, it was originally intended to reflect the diversity of the United Kingdom. The UK is a "creedal nation." That is a country united by adherence to a common idea or ideas - a "nation dedicated to a proposition" to borrow from Mr. Lincoln.

In Britain's case it is a country in with English, Scots, Welsh and Protestant Irish are united by "loyalty to the Crown." The Crown itself representing not just the monarch but certain ideas that attach to the Crown. (This as distinct from say, Germany for example. A country in which people are united by their common language or nationality.)

The British flag is an amalgam of the English flag - the Cross of St. George - and the Scottish flag - the Cross of St. Andrew, and including the colors from the flags of all four British nationalities. Thus, one would think that it represents diversity - not racism. (Racism is also a problem of definitions. It is NOT the same as "bigotry." The former is an ideology, the latter a bias.)

So then people point to the British Empire as an example of the racism the British flag supposedly represents. This ignores the fact that the empire was, as someone once said, "acquired in a fit of absent mindedness." It was not assembled as an ideological imperative, but rather as an accidental outgrowth of British efforts to trade with the world.

No matter, when the empire was dissolved - and there are still fourteen territories that actually want to remain colonies, as indeed no doubt Hong Kong would have loved to remain one as against what it has now - the Commonwealth was born. The head of the Commonwealth being the British monarch, British flag and all.

The Commonwealth, under the SYMBOLIC - there is that word again - headship of the Queen, is so racist that Mozambique, a sub-Sahrana (read "black") African country that was never a British colony, asked to be allowed, and was subsequently allowed, to join. It was allowed to do so only if it pledged to improve its human rights record, by the way.

Bottom line, racism just ain't what it used to be.

[Aynsof]

Well the fellow who dislikes the English flag has some good valid points but he is in my opinion still wrong
He equates it to the confederate flag in the US and while I get his point they aren't equals as we are taking about a national flag with several hundred years of history compared to a battle standard used by an army on the losing side of a civil war
Not equal and not a good comparison
His arguments have two sides the current usage and the historical usage
The current usage honestly is the stronger of his arguments and is where the comparison with the confederate flag comes into play
There is no doubt that the usage of the English flag the St. George's Cross that is in the video not the Union Jack in the picture is a symbol widely used by by the skinhead hooligan racist types in England same as the confederate flag is widely used by racists in the US
But one is a national flag and has legitimate usage that has nothing to do with race the other does not really have any legitimate use
However I think in most official functions the Union Jack will be the flag used anyway? But St. George's Cross remains the official proper flag of England where Union Jack is the flag of Great Britain
If it was decided not to officially use the English flag it would not stop the racist types from using it if anything it would likely solidify their usage of it
There is then the historical usage and he mentions the crusades it was not used as a flag there as it wasn't a flag yet it became the flag after the English knights who fought in the crusades wore garments with St. George's Cross on it but maybe that is just nitpicking but a thousand years ago is that really relevant any longer? British imperialism and colonialism is more relevant and more recent and certainly full of horrors but would it not predominantly have been the Union Jack or it's predecessor that would have been flown? I think it is not specifically St. George's Cross that would be the symbol there
So yes he does have some points but he is also a bit off target on some of them and ultimately I think he is wrong even if he is wrong for good reasons

[N192K001]

As written in another post (with editing), it can be to some and not to others:
「Flags, like other things in communication, are meaningless symbols. It's the meaning attached to them by the viewer that gives them meaning.

For example, the swastika is seen as a symbol of hate in the West because of Hitler and this experience has been associated with the symbol.

In the East, it's a symbol of good luck associated with Ganesha (Hindu god of luck) and Buddha, whose religion branched out of Hinduism.

The symbols may be identical (or mirrored), but many (except Hindus and Buddhists) generally don't recognize the flipping, but the ideas attached will still be attached, merited or not.

The same seems to be the case for the "Confederate flag" (and the English flag) in that Southerners (and Englishmen) who love the flag attach a wholly different set of ideas to it, than do others with no affinity to it. 」

So, it can be… not not, depending on the viewer and what ideas the viewer attaches to it.

[Tron5678]

Mum is British and Dad is Indian. Brits ruled India for more than 200 years and they robbed and were exploited but that is in the past and Indians don't want their past affect their future and their current relationship with UK for the future We adopted lot of ideologies and the English language. I respect both flags and your question and you actually asking us if it's racist is SILLY!

[JimRSmith]

They're arguing about the St George's cross, which isn't the British flag. It's the English flag, commonly seen flying from churches, and other such places which that mixed race dingbat would probably claim are "exclusive" and "oppressive".

In your picture below, however, you have a flag that became obsolete in 1801 (it doesn't include the St Patrick's cross). You do see that flag in loyalist areas of Canada, but that's about it, these days...

[NoxWriter22]

Flags can't be racist. They are flags. People are racist. This is so frustrating. Why does everything have to be racist or offensive. Why are we on this constant search for the bad? Would we cut down a tree because it was used to unfairly hang people of a specific race 200 years ago?

[roaring20sman]

Anything and everything that has to deal with white people's culture is racist... didn't you get the memo? 😂😂😂😂

[tartaarsaus]

Yes. This is the proper non-racist flag

[goaded]

I've not watched the video, but I suspect you need to learn the difference between the English and the British flags.

[RIVERTAY888]

nope but l hate them as l want independence for scotland

[madgoat]

The argument appears to be that the British have previously waged wars, and fascists have used the flag, therefore the flag is a racist symbol.
It's a stretch.

[Anon-ymous1]

*Yawns* Why are there so many questions on this site about racist stuff or racism. It's really, really stupid.

[Waffles731]

In England no, the Argument could be made if flown in India or Africa it is due to historical context

[Edanurus]

People call the British flag racist. I've seen it every year with the St George's cross but this is the first I've heard of it.

[Ecco939]

K so about the video, the concept that the man in the chair is spouting is rubbish. The first crusade in 1095 was fought due to the Christian Byzantine empire coming under threat by Muslim Seljuk Turks. The ottoman empire expansion is another reason for the crusades. The idea that you can throw rasisim around to pursuade others is foolish as is the statement of "your ancestors tried to enslave my ancestors". After all the ancestors of the guy in the chair were likely part of the ottoman empire which had a legal slave trade in which both African and eastern European slaves were common. Byzantium on the other hand had by this point in history replaced the slavery concept with semi feudal and serfdom concepts.

[ROCKS128]

I wonder what has gotten into people these days?😂😂

[BobbyC65]

I like the British Flag who ever thank the British Flag is RACIST THEIR RACIST THEM SELF.

[Hatter3127]

Yes. It’s racist.
So are poppies
And the royal family
And land rovers
And flavoured water
And air...

Everything is racist

[Vegeta01]

So what if it's racist? Gonna cry or what? It irritates me to see snowflakes complaining about everything being racist. Just go away.

[grega239]

its not. i can agree britain dorsnt have a clean record, but people donr celebrate slavery and genocide, they celebrate great achievements of a nation represented by a unifying flag.

[Fiddleus]

I dont know is a black flag racist?
If yes then yes.
If no then no.

[b4ssie1199]

Why do people get offended by everything these days?

[hammeronfire]

no i can't with this. there is no way that he straight faced just compared the English flag to the confederate flag. I'm so done.

[stormbreaker06]

its a christian barbaric flag... who gives a shit.

this world will burn soon.

[uktocan]

Seriously stop being a snowflake

[weaverman]

Wtf is the St. Patty cross?

[Ghost285]

No more than the American flag

[Nadim171]

No, the "Allahu akbar" banners are