« Day off, part VIII | Main | Running form »
July 24, 2005
Family and country
Debra and Matt were here but took off before we got the camera out. This one of the grandparents and grandchildren shows you Dana's American flag.
One of the first things I noticed when we came to Michigan City from the airport was the huge American flag being flown by an ice cream place off the highway. Their flag is truly large, apparently about the size of a house.
People in the US have always flown flags more than people in Europe it seems. But only since 9/11 have I noticed as many flags, banners, and stickers.
Posted by Mark at July 24, 2005 05:20 PM
Comments
I think that flags in front of businesses are intended only to physically attract attention and business. Motion always catches the eye, just look at all the internet advertising. MacDonald's does that everywhere, especially in places that have restrictions on signs like in Hawaii.
And if meant to show patriotism, they do so primarily to attract customers who identify with that patriotism. I've seen a few of those huge flags, the majority at car dealerships.
As you can tell, I'm pretty cynical when commercialism wraps itself in a flag. That's something you definitely don't see in continental Europe (must be an anglo-saxon thing). Outside of national holidays and soccer cups, Europeans with flags are often the nationalists or separatists, such as the Savoyard separatists driving through Chambery with their flags.
Posted by: Andy at July 26, 2005 03:33 AM
Sometimes I think many Americans, at least here in the midwest, are also separatists in that they say they'd like to be left alone with basically no government. What that usually comes down to is not however strong patriotism, but the desire to live in a country as developed as ours without paying taxes.
Posted by: Mark at July 26, 2005 02:41 PM