Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Just A Couple Of Good Ol' Boys

 Reminds me of the six years I spent in Montgomery, Alabama.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

We look at the stars and bars with disgust.

The world looks at the stars and stripes and feels the same way.

The South won.

Maple Leaf Rag said...

Purely as a matter of graphic design, the Confederate flag is more striking than the overly pedantic US flag from which it evolved. In fact, the Confederacy might have won the war if they had spent a bit more time on offensive strategy and a bit less on flag design. The debates on the look of their three re-designs reads a bit like Project Runway.

Btw, "stars and bars" more accurately refers to the first design, a quickie knockoff of the stars and stripes. Flag 2.0 obviously nods to the Union Jack. Though, it's not like the Brits invented the X.

The confederate flag stinks of racism and, specifically, Jim Crow which glorified it. But, why does the Union Jack smell of crumpets and tea? The Brits were ruthless imperialists and slavers, and supported the South in our Civil War.

Personally, I find any flag worship worrisome. What does the US flag mean to the family of a Yemeni child killed by a drone? Young Americans are back to stitching the maple leaf to their rucksacks when traveling abroad. So much for the 911 affect.

It's interesting that the song ABOUT our flag, the Star Spangled Banner, is better than the flag itself. And, it kicks saccharine Dixie's ass. I still don't get why Beyonce wouldn't want to belt out that bombshell "land of the free" live. Nobody nails it perfectly, that's kinda what sends the shivers up your spine.

Anyway, given the powerful design and cultural gravity of the Confederate flag, maybe the only hope is to co-opt the dirty fucker.

Twerk a Jerk said...

Hmm, co-option is a good idea, but what would "make it work?"

How about a rainbow background replacing the red field? Maybe the stars on the bars could be transformed into peace symbols?

Even then, it would be a delicate task to co-opt a symbol of the confederacy, slavery, and Jim Crow. Anyone who tried would have to negotiate a minefield of racial, political, cultural, and regional divisions.

I can think of only one person with the sensitivity and tact to re-appropriate this loaded cultural symbol.

Bring us together Miley Cyrus!

Jolly Codger said...

I'd go for a black and white redesign. Black field, white bars, black stars.

In the top triangle, conjoined skulls sharing one toothy grin, two triangle nose holes, and three empty eyescockets. A cleft dome, vaguely heart-shaped in all.

In the bottom triangle "e pluribus unum."

Joanie Reb said...

Two star spangled rainbows arch and cuddle to form an X on a green field patterned subtly with a flower and paisley design.

In the four triangles: a peace sign, a smiley face, a dove, and a pot leaf.

Lawrence of Scablandia said...

We point fingers at rednecks with flags.

Meanwhile, Obama and Clapper are systematically sharing the most intimate, private information on Muslim American citizens with the Mossad, a profoundly bigoted terrorist organization.

And yet we call ourselves Democrats. How did the party of civil rights become the party of surveillance and oppression?

It's as though the FBI was supplying raw surveillance and wire taps of black Americans to the Ku Klux Klan.

No wonder the Muslim world burns our flag.

Let's be neutral in the Middle East. Let's be an honest broker. Let's be careful about fighting as anyone's proxy there. Let's not be anyone's fool.

Let's not trust to the prejudiced judgments of our elites, and that includes John Kerry.

Every American has Fourth Amendment rights, Mr. President.

Even Muslims.

Gripes of Wrath said...

Was that a Chevy? If it's the same truck he's driving around now with just Old Glory.

The Union forever, hurrah boys hurrah!

Jubal Ant said...

I also saw a big white pickup drive by with just the US flag.

Maybe they really were GOOD old boys and just made an honest mistake.

Maybe trucks come with the confederate flag standard these days and you have to pay extra to have it removed.

tobias said...

Mr. L Scablandia,

You are correct. I voted for a president to end wars, end torture in the name of security and close gitmo. I'm not sure there was a better option, but this sure hasn't turned out well.