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Wednesday 9 June 2010

Shameless Populism

Keir used to have a neighbour, who during the 2006 World Cup put up an England flag in his back garden. Every time England played a game he added a cane, or whatever, to make it higher. This didn't make him a patriot, it made him a twat.

There isn't really any ideological, structural, political or nationalist underpinning to this post. Keir however involuntary swears every time a car with any flag attached to it passes him.
TWAT BEACONS n. England Flags placed on cars in order to alert the public that the driver is a bellend
Keir feels the same about people who stick them to their houses. Keir is proud to be what he is, and doesn't feel the need to wave flags around to feel any more Welsh or British.
David Cameron has said he will fly the flag of St George over No 10 during the football World Cup in South Africa.

The prime minister told MPs that the move would not cost anything and he hoped would help unite the nation behind the English team.
Except, of course, England is only a constituent of our nation, and we shouldn't have this cheap, populist, flag waving bollocks forced on us. Who is Cameron appealing to? White Van Man? What a pathetic stunt. Let Keir ask them a question they will be asking of us soon: "Is this something the government should be doing?"

This does have a bit of a political link though: the lack of devolved representation for England within the current Union settlement. An English Assembly (at least) should be the first step on the Coalitions journey to strengthening localism which it holds so dear. They can stick their flag there.

This has happened before, which Keir didn't realise when he first composed this post in his head. But it all applies nonetheless, no matter who is the incumbent in Downing Street, the seat of the BRITISH government.

3 comments:

  1. SIGH. Pointless ranting. The Welsh flag is everywhere in Wales. And the Scottish have been whoring out the kilts and haggis image for years. Flying the English flag is just representing people's support and solidarity - it's a statement. And you quickly bypassed the most significant point - England hasn't got anywhere else to "stick their flag", so you'll have to put up with it at Downing Street I'm afraid.

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  2. Downing Street is the seat of which government, English or British?

    Support and solidarity? Its football. It's Call me Dave trying to be populist. (And I like football!)

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  3. But England doesn't have a seat!

    Yes it is football. And at football matches people wear football shirts or the football colours, call it a running theme if that helps. It's almost a uniform. As ENGLAND are in the World Cup it seems appropriate to represent support with the flag. What else do you want them to use?

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