Flying the flag

[Peabody]

Having just returned from Majorca, there were no cars flying the Spanish flag, unlike here, were evry car/van looks like it is a desert vehicle going into battle. I am not being disapproving but I wonder whether it is just us English that fly them or if the Spanish are the only ones who dont?

[Lighthouse]

I have no idea why. The two houses across the road both have England flags hanging from their houses and in the windows. Bloody yobs. Although the flag has been banned from official vans and buses in some areas.

I suppose we have less to live for so have to submerge ourself in the futile act of being Nationalistic. Shows how little we have to be proud of. Like a once beautiful woman,  who now needs to cover herself in makeup and has to go out clubbing to feel alive. We are fooling ourselves we have something to cling to. The less secure the Nation is the more we have to shout about how proud we are and sing a British Anthem.

Still looking forward to the game and England have to turn up at least once don't they?

[FatFreddysCat]

Maybe because the Mallorcans consider themselves to be Catalans rather than Spanish. Just a thought, it might be like that in Madrid. I saw either the bravest, most stupid or just plain naive person a couple of days ago, driving around Northolt beeping his horn and waving a big German flag out of the window, i'd be intersted to see if he does it today, and how long he would last. Mallorca or Palma i've just remembered was once the Capital of Catalonia.

[CorkedHat]

An Australian living in America hoisted the Australian flag in his yard on Australia Day (Jan 26).
The police arrived and told him that if he didn't take it down he would be charged and arrested.
There is some law, apparently, which prevents the flying of a foreign flag except in emabassy and consul grounds and on state occasions.
Governments get very excited about the flag and maybe there is a law preventing the Spanish to fly the flag except in approved places.
Nobody is more nationalistic than Australia but only occasionally do you see the flag being flown on private property. Sports events when we play an overseas country is when you see them the most although they are gradually being replaced by the Boxing Kangaroo flag which has become a symbol of our sporting prowess.

[finnster01]

A very large flag of St George is proudly flying from the top floor window of our apartment this morning in Harlem, New York. Last time that happened it was probably pre-1776...

Engerland - Engerland  :045:

[CorkedHat]

A very large flag of St George is proudly flying from the top floor window of our apartment this morning in Harlem, New York. Last time that happened it was probably pre-1776...

Engerland - Engerland  :045:

Expect the wallopers to knock on your door at any moment unless of course they think that you work for the Red Cross

[jarv]

Remember Fulham Palace Road and adjoining streets in 1975???  Lots of Fulham banners and flags. I thought it was all quite passionate and quaint at the same time.

[Ichabod Magoo]

An Australian living in America hoisted the Australian flag in his yard on Australia Day (Jan 26).
The police arrived and told him that if he didn't take it down he would be charged and arrested.
There is some law, apparently, which prevents the flying of a foreign flag except in emabassy and consul grounds and on state occasions.

Not true.  You just can not fly it above the U.S. flag.  My neighborhood has houses with Irish and Swedish flags, but they are below the American flag.

[CorkedHat]

An Australian living in America hoisted the Australian flag in his yard on Australia Day (Jan 26).
The police arrived and told him that if he didn't take it down he would be charged and arrested.
There is some law, apparently, which prevents the flying of a foreign flag except in emabassy and consul grounds and on state occasions.

Not true.  You just can not fly it above the U.S. flag.  My neighborhood has houses with Irish and Swedish flags, but they are below the American flag.

The person concerned did not wish to fly the American flag. Are you telling me that that is the reason his Australian flag was taken down? When Argentina won the WC a few years ago the Argentinian flag flew boldly over a Brisbane building site. There wasn't an Australian flag to be seen for miles. Perhaps we are just as nationalistic as America but happy for others to express their heritage

[finnster01]

Well, no coppers came to my door, but to be fair It didn't fly very long...
Not much to be proud of after that display of underperforming twats

[Ichabod Magoo]

An Australian living in America hoisted the Australian flag in his yard on Australia Day (Jan 26).
The police arrived and told him that if he didn't take it down he would be charged and arrested.
There is some law, apparently, which prevents the flying of a foreign flag except in emabassy and consul grounds and on state occasions.

Not true.  You just can not fly it above the U.S. flag.  My neighborhood has houses with Irish and Swedish flags, but they are below the American flag.

The person concerned did not wish to fly the American flag. Are you telling me that that is the reason his Australian flag was taken down? When Argentina won the WC a few years ago the Argentinian flag flew boldly over a Brisbane building site. There wasn't an Australian flag to be seen for miles. Perhaps we are just as nationalistic as America but happy for others to express their heritage

I'm not telling you anything other than what I previously said.  I have no idea of the real details of the situation other than what you have related.  A link to the story would be helpful.

[RidgeRider]

o Corked one, seems to me I have seen the Irish and Mexican flags around on more than a few occasions over the years. I don't have the foggiest idea about the rules, my guess is there are probably some rules about flying foreign flags, but I think community by community they may or may not be enforced.

For whatever reason my knee jerk reaction when I see them, unless it is over hotel or embassy is to always 'think' "if you like that place so much go back home"....I know...poor form.... but after a second of thought I remember the melting pot that we are and forget about it quickly.

I also see a lot of country of origin car stickers around as well, many times with the flag next to it, in sticker form of course.

[CorkedHat]

At any given time, Jack, there are an estimated 200,000 Australians in Britain, some solely on holiday but many on a working holiday. A few of these like Rolf Harris, Kylie Minogue and Germaine Greer will never return home but most of them will pack their swag once their visa is up.
In the time they are in Britain they are still defiantly Australian and many get relatives back home to send them Vegemite, Milo and Violet Crumbles to remind them of home. Invariably in these parcels will be the Australian flag which you will see flying from apartment blocks in west London.
If you tell these people to go home they will inevitably reply, "Fair suck of the sav cobber, I've only just got here."
In one of Melbourne's main thoroughfares is a shop that sells only British made goods and it does a roaring trade. Why anyone should go out of their way to buy Bisto, Irn Bru and Crunchies, the Lord only knows, but what it illustrates is that it is very difficult for some people to forget where they are from.
I would not be game to wear my England shirt in our local pub, although I often wear the two Fulham shirts that I have. It seems that people can understand having links with the old country but you mustn't blatantly thrust nationality upon others and that is what flying the flag or wearing the English shirt seems to do.
Samuel Johnson once said that "patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel". He may have been right or wrong but it is certainly the last refuge of the less tolerant.

[WhiteJC]

I haven't seen many England flags in the last couple of days

[Logicalman]

Lets put the 'American Flag' debate to bed early shall we?

There is one national law in the US regarding flying national flags, that is the right to fly the Stars and Stripes. It does not mention any other flags. (Freedom to Display the American Flag Act of 2005)

The laws concerning the flying of flags (other than above) are State by State, and therefore, as CH says, his friend may well have been threatened with either a State Law or City ordinance, obviously it depends where he actually was.

In a town in Nevada, in 2006 they made it illegal to fly anything but the Stars and Stripes.

Remember, unlike a bunch of other countries that prefer federal or national laws, the US tends to allow States more power than some people might wish in such matters.