Putting some black in the Union Jack...
June 11, 2003 5:24 AM   Subscribe

Take one flag. Add black marker pen. Instant Harmony! Does multicultural Britain need a flag makeover? Does this set a multi-colour precedent? Rainbow's taken isn't it? Is it maybe a plot by smaller flag makers to undermine market leaders? And what about Wales?
posted by klaatu (30 comments total)
 
What I'd rather see them do is remove the cross of St. Patrick, and go back to this (or perhaps this, since the English have been in front for so long).
posted by Zonker at 5:31 AM on June 11, 2003


How about using the Cornish flag? Or, from another tradition of combining black & white on a flag, this?
posted by misteraitch at 5:54 AM on June 11, 2003


Agreed, Zonker. In fact, I think it's time that the British acknowledged that the flag is purely a symbol of empire, and put this flag (and the national anthem) to bed. Good luck finding anyone in Scotland (or, to a lesser extent Wales), willing to fly the Union Flag or sing God Save the queen.
posted by ascullion at 6:01 AM on June 11, 2003


Well, I think we should use it. I think we should celebrate the fact we are multicultural by putting black on there. Except, of course, that 'black' people aren't black. Maybe we should blend the white and red together to make pink and then fade it from pink to dark brown! Great idea.

Then we should celebrate the fact that our country is 'politically correct' to the point of political incorrectness and tell people to stop being so fucking stupid. [sorry]

What sort of dumbass thought that would be a good idea?
posted by twine42 at 6:02 AM on June 11, 2003


For the record, I kind of agree with the three posters before me, but we should either have our own flags, or completely new flags. None of this pratting around like that.
posted by twine42 at 6:04 AM on June 11, 2003


Does multicultural Britain need a flag makeover?

no.
posted by johnnyboy at 6:34 AM on June 11, 2003


Any of the flags for the 19th September entry would delight me.
(With a tip of the bowler hat to dumbmonkey).

'...i was wondering what flag i would want to fly, what flag i feel i could be represented by, other than Old Glory. i thought it would have many colors in it, representative of the earth, the verdant greens of the planet's forests, the blues of the various ocean depths, white for the purity of the ice caps, many other colors for every shade of human being and animal that shares residence upon this sphere, and certainly red, the color of that which we all have in common, the color of our blood.'

As an aside - the Basque flag somewhat resembles the
Union Jack.
posted by plep at 6:36 AM on June 11, 2003


How 'bout NO GODDAM FLAGS WHATSOFUKKINEVER?

(Nah. It'd never work. What the hell would separate US from THEM?)
posted by Shane at 6:36 AM on June 11, 2003


I seen nothing wrong with the union flag while the union is still in place and that's what it's a symbol of, not empire. Once Wales and Scotland devolve, then we've got our own country flags which are all pretty great as well.
posted by Summer at 6:37 AM on June 11, 2003


Abject patronising bollocks. Today the Union Flag is just a set of geometric shapes which bear no relation to the politically-incorrect history that formed them, and certainly not to the colour of anyone's skin. What will they want next, a complete rainbow across the diagonal? How about ultraviolet and infrared, for our reflectively-endowed brothers?
posted by Pretty_Generic at 6:44 AM on June 11, 2003


I don't know what it is exactly, but the heavy black lines on that flag has heavy overtones of fascism/nazism to me. That could be because the Union Jack itself has fascist overtones, but that flag really doesnt look right to me. If I saw it without knowing its lineage, I'd assume it was something to do with the far right.
posted by influx at 6:44 AM on June 11, 2003


that is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard.

string him up for treason.

then burn him.
posted by Frasermoo at 6:45 AM on June 11, 2003


As I see it the flag was and still is intended simply to represent the unity of separate political entities and as such it should be judged on its ability to do that alone.

By that logic, the inclusion of the St. Patrick's flag is acceptable only as a representation of N. Ireland but as far as I know the majority there do see it in such light.

But for sure, where's Wales eh?
posted by pots at 7:04 AM on June 11, 2003


West of England. Boom-cha.
posted by Frasermoo at 7:06 AM on June 11, 2003


How 'bout NO GODDAM FLAGS WHATSOFUKKINEVER?
Nah, then they'd have to redesign all of the atm/ticket screens.

(Most of the ones I saw in France, anyway, had the language selection sorted by little flag icons, so you touched the union jack to get an English-language interface. It was pretty convenient.)
posted by Karmakaze at 7:15 AM on June 11, 2003


Well I, for one, say it's high time that blacks in the UK got their own representation on the flag which thus far has represented only white, red and blue people.
posted by soyjoy at 7:22 AM on June 11, 2003


i've never liked the reddies who moved in down the road.
posted by Frasermoo at 7:30 AM on June 11, 2003


If anyone needs a new flag, I'd think it should be Maylaysia, "Hm, the US has a nice flag, we have 13 states, too. Turkey's flag is nice as well, but we better change the star and cresent a little".


posted by tomplus2 at 7:32 AM on June 11, 2003


In Italy, Silvio Berlusconi changed the colours of their flag....
posted by brettski at 7:43 AM on June 11, 2003


Maybe the black lines mean that the UK is trying to toughen up its image with a heavy-metal sensibility.
posted by deanc at 7:53 AM on June 11, 2003


If you're going to have black, you'd better have yellow and brown and sort of beige-pink as well. Must INCLUDE everyone. Not INCLUDING everyone would be bad.
posted by RylandDotNet at 8:16 AM on June 11, 2003


Are not blood, sweat and tears the same color on all people?

And what about Wales?

What about them? The dragon already looks like he's in the middle of saying a lispy and stereotypical, "Behave thith-ter or I'll thcratch your eye'th out!" Maybe if they gave him more of a shade of pink rater than red...

(On preview, as he is Welsh, maybe I should have spelled it, "Behave llyllter...")
posted by Pollomacho at 8:39 AM on June 11, 2003


But for sure, where's Wales eh?

OK, let's see you try and get the dragon in there.
posted by Summer at 8:41 AM on June 11, 2003


Another reason to change the flag:


posted by The Jesse Helms at 8:48 AM on June 11, 2003


How about a "Not Safe for Some Audiences" warning on that photo Jesse?!? I'm trying to have my lunch here!

*vomits into trash can*
posted by Pollomacho at 9:16 AM on June 11, 2003


You know, the black lines do make it a bit more...aggressive. Perhaps they're going for a more badass image.
posted by me3dia at 9:27 AM on June 11, 2003


I don't know what it is exactly, but the heavy black lines on that flag has heavy overtones of fascism/nazism to me. That could be because the Union Jack itself has fascist overtones, but that flag really doesnt look right to me. If I saw it without knowing its lineage, I'd assume it was something to do with the far right.

I see what it is - the black lines on the diagonal stripes are all on the same side, rotationally speaking. Visually, the whole thing whirls like - well - another whirling vaguely crosslike symbol I could name, this one diamond shaped and usually embedded in a white circle on a field of red.
posted by wanderingmind at 10:54 AM on June 11, 2003


. . . - well - another whirling vaguely crosslike symbol I could name, this one diamond shaped and usually embedded in a white circle on a field of red.

Aha! You must mean that Hindu symbol associated with Ganesha!
posted by Shane at 12:03 PM on June 11, 2003


God I wanted to do every single member of Def Leppard when they dressed like that back in the day...

... but when countries start talking about changing their flags, I tend to get a little worried.
posted by WolfDaddy at 3:51 PM on June 11, 2003


My blue is good - the color of the sky
My stars are good - for ideals, oh so high
Seven stripes of red are strong - to meet all danger
But those white stripes – they need some changing

I need also some stripes of deep rich brown
And some of tan and black, then all around
A border of god's gracious green would look good there
And maybe you should slant the stripes.
Then I'd not be so square


--Pete Seeger


This is silly and encourages thinking of race as a black-white binary.
posted by hippugeek at 10:28 PM on June 11, 2003


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