1y ago

The upside-down American flag goes mainstream as a form of right-wing protest

www.npr.org /2024/06/03/nx-s1-4987590/upside-down-american-flag-protest-symbol-history

politics @lemmy.world

jeffw @lemmy.world

1y ago

www.npr.org /2024/06/03/nx-s1-4987590/upside-down-american-flag-protest-symbol-history

65 comments

Imagine starting or rallying towards a civil war
..... for some dumb, stupid, meaningless, ignorant, arrogant and self serving politician like Donald Trump.
- He's not even a politician
  He's a game show host who was informed his only chance of staying out of prison was to be elected president
  But then he committed more crimes, so even having been president will no longer cut it
  
  He's not even a game show host. He's a failed real estate mogul who inherited his wealth and then squandered it, bankrupting multiple businesses along the way.
- Counterpoint: it's more like they are trying to use support for him as the excuse to start the civil war? But if not him, they would find some other "cause" for it.
  With arson, it is not enough simply to put out the immediate fire.
But God forbid you kneel during the anthem...
- I can't wait to hear the conservative explanation on how the two are completely different and not at all related.
  
  They're not brown. Duh.
  
  Easy. "It's different when we do it because we do it for good reasons your reasons are bad you socialist scum"
  Done.
Y'all run out of Confederate flags AND No Step on Snek flags?
- You leave that adorable no step on snek flag out of this. It's so cute! Even though it's meant to be a parody of the gadsden, I sadly can't enjoy it without people making assumptions. :(
  
  This is all I see there, I'm sorry.
  
  Needs more tears
- I like this one personally
- Join my movement to turn "don't tread on me" to a bikers first message. We support bike infrastructure and stopping cars from treading on cycling.
- and ~~yuletide~~xmass tree flags.
- You misunderstand. It’s an international sign of distress, or a way to protest your neighbor’s inappropriate yard signs. Isn’t that right, Justice?
- Don't worry, I'm sure the factories in China are just spinning up production now.
- They need 88 for the full set
- Conservatisms ultimate allegiance lies with authoritarianism and dictatorship.
"Don't desecrate the flag unless we want to"
Same group that threw a hissy fit over flag burning
Isn’t flying the flag upside down against the US Flag code? Then again, so is turning it into clothing IIRC.
- These people believe that the law protects but does not bind them.
  
  Also, technically the Flag Code isn't the law. Not that that occurred to them when people were using it for progressive protests.
  
  And binds but does not protect anyone else.
- No, its an old symbol of distress
  
  So they’re fragile?
- For the clothing thing, Isn't the rule just that you can't turn a flag into clothing. You're allowed to make clothes with patterns from flags as long as the material didn't come from a flag.
  
  That's correct, some still find it disrespectful though.
So ... kneeling during the anthem bad, flying the flag upside-down good?
- Come on man, this isn't reddit. Let's not repeat other earlier comments here.
  
  I'll take your concerns under advisement. Man.
It’s not a form of right-wing protest. It’s a form of peaceful protest that is currently being used by right-wing morons. There is a difference. Words matter.
Stop assigning ownership of symbols to fleeting groups of imbeciles.
- (also the OK hand sign has nothing to do with white power)
Babies. Hypocritical babies.
As someone from the Netherlands this is nothing new. Right wingers and anti-climate policy farmers have been using the upside down Dutch flag for a long time. Always funny when people from other countries see it:
“Why is the flag of Yugoslavia so prevalent?” Or the same thing with Schleswig-Holstein. (A German province)
Aren't these the same fuckers who wailed about respecting the flag?
Makes it easier to spot which neighbors to avoid.
- Exactly. I'm reminded of that old Far Side cartoon when it comes to dipshit regalia like upside flags.
This sounds like something edgy kids at a school would do.
Rage Against the Machine is gonna be pissed!
I have a neighbor directly behind me that has been doing the upside down flag thing for a while now. I think they started doing it after January 6.
These same neighbors also fly a don't tread flag.
I'm glad I haven't needed to interact with these dunces.
Thought the upside down American flag was just a Hexbear/tankie/communist thing.
- It's sort of a cliche thing to do whenever you're out of power. Frankly I've always liked it.
I hate nation-states as much as the next guy but this is pretty obviously not cool
I guess republicans are into self flag-ellation now.
Does it? Does it really? Who says other than the writer of this article
- So, are you insinuating that the author just made it up? That the documentation in their report is falsified? Say what you mean.
  
  Yes. It doesn’t appear the majority of republicans are using this flag at all. There are lots, not enough to call it mainstream though
- I mean, someone is flying an upside down Betsy Ross flag in my neighborhood (the one with 13 stars in a circle).
  And I live in the middle of a city.
  
  Please tell me it's not even in one of the 13.

65 comments