My ex from Norway mentioned how unusual it was that so many places and people here fly our flag (USA), so I was curious to hear what it’s like for others here on the fediverse.

  • TXinTXe@lemmy.ml
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    1 year ago

    I’m from Spain, it’s not uncommon unfortunately, but that’s because the flag is appropriated by the right and far right and if you see someone with one you can be 90% sure of the type (homophobe, anti abortion, bullfighting supporter, climate change denier, etc etc)

        • NuclearDolphin@lemmy.ml
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          1 year ago

          Flying your country’s flag soft implies that you like your country, liking your country soft implies that you support and enjoy the status quo of your country. Conservatives seek to preserve the status quo. Therefore, conservatives and supporters of the status quo will always have a greater connection to the flag than those who are marginalized in the same country.

          Patriotism and nationalism have a strong association, independent of how people opposed to nationalism feel about it. Why would we want to adopt a symbol that is even loosely associated with nationalism or suggests contentness with the status quo if we want to significantly change the status quo?

          I disagree progressives flying the flag enables the hate of the right. In fact, I feel the opposite; flying the flag normalizes nationalistic tendencies instead of making you look like an obsessed weirdo.

          • NuclearDolphin@lemmy.ml
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            1 year ago

            Wanted to add to this, a couple other reasons why progressive-minded people wouldn’t want to fly the flag:

            There’s inherent colonial symbolism in the 13 stripes on the flag, and flying it also can be seen as a celebration of colonial conquest over native lands.

            If liberals regularly fly the flag, leaving only left-wing people who dislike the US as the only people not flying the flag, not flying the flag will actively become a political statement, placing a target on their backs, and becoming a reason to antagonize people just living their lives.

    • Mat66@eslemmy.es
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      1 year ago

      The problem that the origin of our flag is dated in 1785 but because we were under the Dictatorship of Franco for 40 years, young people identifies the flag with that regimen (extreme right). But not everydody things that way 😏 🙄

      https://eslemmy.es/

  • Balthasar~@feddit.de
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    1 year ago

    I am from Germany and no one is raising a flag. Except he is a Nazi. Or it is soccer World Championship.

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      1 year ago

      That’s kind of sad. It’s getting that way in Canada. Trudeau has called people every ism and ist when they are carrying a Canadian flag that people don’t fly it very much.

  • NuclearDolphin@lemmy.ml
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    1 year ago

    From the US, I see American flags everywhere.

    Some small towns have a flag on every electrical pole on their main street. It used to just be around Memorial Day and the 4th of July, but a lot of towns seem to be leaving them up year round.

    A huge proportion of houses in US suburbs and rural areas have flags flying. If you have wealth or a big chunk of land, it’s pretty certain you also have a flag flying or prominently displayed on your property. Less frequent on the porches of more modest homes.

    Pickup trucks fly flags (sometimes multiple) attached to their beds. These trucks often also have punisher stickers, human skulls, or “thin blue line” flag stickers on them.

    Most medium to large businesses have a flag pole on their campus.

    I definitely see fewer flags in cities, but still see a lot of flag stickers on storefront windows, and flags in apartment bedroom windows.

    • DippinDoots@lemmy.ml
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      1 year ago

      A lot of people in our small (US) town seem to not like our flag. We happily fly it and a pride flag.

  • loops@lemmy.ml
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    1 year ago

    Canada here, not very common until you get close to Canada day or Armistice day. Recently though; there have been people flying it a lot and they mostly seem to be the conspiracy/queen of Canada types.

    So yes, it is unusual. Perhaps it can be seen as a symptom of American nationalism, and all the pitfalls it represents.

    • TWeaK@lemmy.ml
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      1 year ago

      Canada here, not very common until you get close to Canada day or Armistice day.

      It’s very common if you’re travelling Europe and are American.

      • loops@lemmy.ml
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        1 year ago

        My Grandpa almost got mugged in …Spain I think, but the guys seen that he had a tim hortons mug and a Canadian flag sowed onto his bag, so they left him alone lol.

  • IverCoder@lemmy.ml
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    1 year ago

    Here in the Philippines, it’s generally around only on government buildings and schools. Some establishments and residences may opt to fly the flag as well, but most of us just don’t bother at all.

    Generally the flag doesn’t have any negative (or positive) connotations. Both the leftists and rightists see the flag equally.

  • Hyacathusarullistad@kbin.social
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    1 year ago

    Here in Canada (southwestern Ontario, anyway) it’s around, but not super common. You see it on government buildings (municipal, provincial, and federal), but that’s about it. You don’t often see it on people’s homes, vehicles, or businesses the way you see in the States, and it’s not something you see on merch very often outside of tourist traps or Canada Day.

    Except, ironically, for at some of the bigger and more famous American retail chains. Walmart and Home Depot both have a Canadian flag planted firmly in every location, it seems. Maybe because they’re so used to flying their own flag in the States that they just assume it’s what everyone does everywhere?

  • aaitvedan@kbin.social
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    1 year ago

    It was uncommon in The Netherlands. Except on certain holidays. And when kids get a high school diploma: a flag plus school bag.

    But since last year, angry farmers ‘decorated’ the country with flags hung upside down to protest against environmental measures. All kinds of angry right wing people followed.

  • Marshell@feddit.de
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    1 year ago

    German here. No, we don’t do that here. (Exceptions: Football World Cup and weird dudes on camp sites or allotment gardens. Usually a sign to avoid the area.) Interestingly, the fascists don’t show the German flag, but the one from the Germany before the current one…

  • Jimi_Hotsauce@kbin.social
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    1 year ago

    When I went to Norway I counted the flags I saw. I forget the exact number but I saw maybe 6 in the week I was there. Come back to the US I saw at least 20 coming back from the airport.

  • kersploosh@sh.itjust.works
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    1 year ago

    American here. When I was in Sweden it felt like their flag was everywhere. Maybe I just noticed it more because I was traveling.

    In Brazil I saw their flag plastered on a lot of stuff - clothes, bags, painted on the street - but not so much flying on flag poles.

    I see fair amount of US flags here at home, usually at government buildings, cemeteries, and the like. When flown at homes I usually assume the person is on the political right.

    • levochemist@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      In the US, almost all private residences flying the US flag are on the right. The flag is almost a sign of being aggressively complacent with the current status of the US. It would be nice if the US was more like Sweden and less divided but as it stands you can almost certainly guarantee that the only people flying flags are conservative.

  • bstix@feddit.dk
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    1 year ago

    It’s weirdly common in Denmark. People fly the national flag for birthdays, and some people even decorate the Christmas tree with flag guirlandes. It’s seen as an act of celebration rather than patriotism.

    https://tenor.com/bRmME.gif

    • v_krishna@lemmy.ml
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      1 year ago

      OP sounds strange to me I feel like all Scandinavians have their flag a lot, on birthday cakes and for graduations and such. I definitely experienced this in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.

      • Stovetop@lemmy.ml
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        1 year ago

        Iceland, too. The flag is in a lot of places. On clothing/apparel, flying outside buildings, on signs, etc.

      • Countsheep@lemmy.ml
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        1 year ago

        Yeah I see it all the time in Sweden. Not on cars so much but flagpoles and such especially when it is a nice day out

  • Johnnyline@kbin.social
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    1 year ago

    In the UK, you generally don’t see people flying the Union Jack unless its a major sporting event, or its a major governmental sort of building.

    • bazpoint@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      If anything, you’re probaby more likely to see the English, Scottish or Welsh (or NIish I assume, but never been there) flags than the Union Jack. Because the different nations have their own football teams (and other sports too), so they come out for the big international tournaments and some stay flying in between.

  • esm@lemmy.sdf.org
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    1 year ago

    In Scotland, it tends to indicate your political beliefs. People flying the Union Jack are normally unionists and supporters of the monarchy, whereas people flying the Saltire (Scottish) flag are normally nationalists (pro-independence). It’s therefore difficult to fly a flag ‘neutrally’ unless you were to fly both.

  • snota@sh.itjust.works
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    1 year ago

    In the UK it’s very unusual unless it’s football or royal related. The union flag, the Welsh flag and the Scottish flag are ok most of the time but the England flag is seen as being a bit racist.

    • tegs_terry
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      1 year ago

      I see people with their county flag outside quite a bit out in the sticks