Being British, and aloud to make my own choices, I don’t really think much of the whole flag/anthem (which no one even remembers!!) concepts.
But, with regards to Nationalism, I’m all for our country being the best it can be. By us supporting each other, and upholding our indivdual rights. For with out that, I think things would probably fall into chaos, pretty quickly.
Originally posted by Sephiroth Katana
After the original incarnation of the pledge, it was revised twice against the wishes of its author, and finally got a religious reference added to it in the McCarthy era, after lobbying by a special interest group. There’s little purity in that.
I didn’t really mean the pledge was pure in that sense. I do agree that there are other reasons a person might choose not to stand for the pledge, mainly the inclusion of the “One nation under God” clause, which still baffles me. All I mean by pure symbol was that it held no materialistic value on its own. It only means something when used as a symbol. Call it “total symbol” instead of “pure symbol” if you want…that’s all I meant.
Come to think of it, if you show any sign of patriotism in Sweden, people scream rasist/nazi and throw fish at you. Maybe not that severe, but the general view is that if someone waves a Swedish flag for any other reason than to cheer for a Swedish sportsman/woman/team in an international competition or the like, s/he is a rasist/nazi. Same for singing the anthem. Such things are only “appropriate” under certain circumstances, which actually rather sad.
You da man, Sorc.
Originally posted by Jing
Come to think of it, if you show any sign of patriotism in Sweden, people scream rasist/nazi and throw fish at you. Maybe not that severe, but the general view is that if someone waves a Swedish flag for any other reason than to cheer for a Swedish sportsman/woman/team in an international competition or the like, s/he is a rasist/nazi. Same for singing the anthem. Such things are only “appropriate” under certain circumstances, which actually rather sad.
Two Thoughts:
1.) Yeah, but at least that probably means nobody votes for one of those xenophobic nationalist parties that have been all the rage in Europe in the last 10 years or so (like Jeorg Haider and his band of nutcases that ran Austria for a couple years who just got voted out last year, I think) in Sweden.
2.) Only in international competition… hmm. So does that mean there’s no customary playing of the Swedish national anthem and/or flying the flag around before domestic athletic competition (i.e. professional soccer games)? Interesting…
2 and a half.) They throw FISH? That’s…
that actually sounds kinda cool.
Originally posted by Heaven’s Soldier
I don’t really think much of the whole flag/anthem (which no one even remembers!!)
God Save the Queen
God save our gracious Queen
Long live our noble Queen
God save the Queen
Send her victorious
Happy and glorious
Long to reign over us
God save the Queen
O lord God arise
Scatter our enemies
And make them fall!
Confound their knavish tricks
Confuse their politics
On you our hopes we fix
God save the Queen
Not in this land alone
But be God’s mercies known
From shore to shore
Lord make the nations see
That men should brothers be
And form one family
The wide world ov’er
From every latent foe
From the assasins blow
God save the Queen
O’er her thine arm extend
For Britain’s sake defend
Our mother, prince, and friend
God save the Queen
Thy choicest gifts in store
On her be pleased to pour
Long may she reign
May she defend our laws
And ever give us cause
To sing with heart and voice
God save the Queen
That’s the oddest anthem I’ve ever seen. o_O Our’s is just a two verse praise of the area.
OK, so there is ONE person who knows it all.
How DO you know that anyway, Urkani?