england is grim

[mr. lizard]

This whole thread reeks of ignorance and generalisation.

If I followed football, supported a team. I would put that flag up regardless. I live in a part of London with a lot of Polish & Asians, I would not be putting my flag up to offend them, if they got offended that's their problem. I'm not going to go to France and complain that they have French flags there.

Its ok to be proud of where your from, its part of your identity. Where you are born is part of you. Just because someone claims proud to be British/English doesn't mean they're racist.

im saying why would you represent the flag of your own country in your own country it doesnt make sense. i understand wearing a shirt. but a flag is a symbol it has a lot more meaning and connotations than a shirt. armies wave their flag when they go to war in another country, and they dont even do that anymore.

if i was to go area i just saw england flags posted up everywhere. to me thats a sinister message and i wouldnt stay too long

whereas if i saw some lads walking down the street wearing england shirts, i would be like yesss lads and keep walking.

wearing an england shirt is like wearing a dmz t shirt its just representing yourself, wearing an england shirt in england is a bit like wearing a dmz shirt to dmz, i dont think its lame it just shows youre really into it. another thing the england football team shirt is directly linked to FOOTBALL. whereas a flag is vague it could mean any number of things, remember its a powerful symbol, why do you think people still represent these england flags when its not world cup?

just look at the american flag and what kind of people over there use it over there, theyve even got a specific flag for racist use (confederate flag)

You sound pathetic

[gwa]

i never said it was racist. i just dont understand why people are so patriotic to go that level of expression.

[magma]

why do you think people still represent these england flags when its not world cup?

Same reason there are still cars driving around with faded Red Noses from Comic Relief in 1992... there's a reason they change the design every year now... everyone forgets to take stuff off their car.

[saphyre]

Fuck the PC parade aswell, you're worse than the racists.

yeah i agree its worse to be politically correct than to be racist

[kidshuffle]

People wanna jump on a bandwagon and feel like they belong, or have some sort of bond between each other for once; so who fucking cares?

[jwrs-]

Don't start with the 'political correctness police' and 'its p.c gone mad' routine. I thought people understood by now that it was just another Daily Mail hate campaign

[wolf89]

Honestly. So many people in this threads sound like wankers.

Yes. Flags on cars make you look like a wanker, but seriously just ignore it. I don't think that most people who do it have remotely thought of what they could be representing so stop wasting your time going on about what the flag could symbolise for them, they're just being swept up in the supporting England hype most of the time. Let them do it. Maybe some people are doing it with areshole-ish intent, but how are you going to tell the difference between them and the going too far but completely innocent football fan?

[mr. lizard]

Fuck the PC parade aswell, you're worse than the racists.

yeah i agree its worse to be politically correct than to be racist

I bet the PC parade are responsible for more people being racist than any racist group or organisation in this country.

[tommatee]

rar rar rar england is shit etc...

Atleast you have the freedom to express this opinion. If you really hate it that much move to Sweden or some shit.

[kidshuffle]

Honestly. So many people in this threads sound like wankers.

Yes. Flags on cars make you look like a wanker, but seriously just ignore it. I don't think that most people who do it have remotely thought of what they could be representing so stop wasting your time going on about what the flag could symbolise for them, they're just being swept up in the supporting England hype most of the time. Let them do it. Maybe some people are doing it with areshole-ish intent, but how are you going to tell the difference between them and the going too far but completely innocent football fan?

This.

[jwrs-]

Honestly. So many people in this threads sound like wankers.

Yes. Flags on cars make you look like a wanker, but seriously just ignore it. I don't think that most people who do it have remotely thought of what they could be representing so stop wasting your time going on about what the flag could symbolise for them, they're just being swept up in the supporting England hype most of the time. Let them do it. Maybe some people are doing it with areshole-ish intent, but how are you going to tell the difference between them and the going too far but completely innocent football fan?

This.

Agreed

[lloydnoise]

BLAH

BLAAAAH

You sound pathetic

Seriously mate, you come across as a bit intolerant and fairly ignorant. I know the text based web conversations aren't exactly the most articulate of exchanges but you must see that your aggressive tone and the side you have taken on the subject just come across as a bit racist/xenophobic/intolerant/whathaveyou...

The flag as a symbol is very powerful and can make people do things they would they wouldn't normally do... It is of course just a symbol to represent our country, like all national flags but all countries have a history that may still be a sore spot today. Most countries are more than the present basic national identity, they are generations of struggle and tensions, political and social evolution that has shaped it's character and the individual lives of it's inhabitants.
The flag can remind us of this in a few colours and lines.

National flags are the simplest most recognisable way to big up your country but it tends to also allow people to wax lyrical on something they would normally not do. I tend to find that the people that use the flag the most to bolster their own belief in their cultural and national identity are the ones who actually know least about their country (language especially) and only show real pride in situations where they can channel it into competition or even aggression.

You don't see half this sort or 'patriot' raising money for schools or volunteering for the local council when there is no world cup.. No tattooed british bulldogs writing to their MP to campaign for local causes. That would be a copper-bottomed display of national pride that wouldn't upset anyone and would bring them closer to the country/community they love, real national pride.. Instead it's generally thinly veiled racism under the guise of patriotism that lasts the duration of the world cup.
Then they just go back to being straight racist...

[Hibbie]

This whole thread reeks of ignorance and generalisation.

If I followed football, supported a team. I would put that flag up regardless. I live in a part of London with a lot of Polish & Asians, I would not be putting my flag up to offend them, if they got offended that's their problem. I'm not going to go to France and complain that they have French flags there.

Its ok to be proud of where your from, its part of your identity. Where you are born is part of you. Just because someone claims proud to be British/English doesn't mean they're racist.

100% this. I dunno why there are so many people of this forum that feel that they have to proove how against any sort of racism they are.
Yes car flags are Lame.

[mr. lizard]

Instead it's generally thinly veiled racism under the guise of patriotism that lasts the duration of the world cup.

I do not agree with this point.

I think a lot of you people look too much into it. this thread, and the discussion is about the world cup, it's football, it's a competition and naturally, each team has support. People will display flags to show which side they are giving their support in the competition. Racist? most definately not. I think you need to analyse the context in which the flag is being displayed / used and not just jump on the "racist!" bandwagon.

I think events like this can be really beneficial for the community and community spirit. It is times like these when everyone in the country can get together and experience the emotions and dramas of a world cup together.

and yes, I can come across as quite agressive, it's only because I feel strongly about these things, and a lot of people in this thread seem to be "yay I'm PC, I'm so cool" and it pisses me off. I am not really very Patriotic, and I'm definately not racist but I am very against censorship

[Neurotik]

Was never a big fan of believing i'm better than someone else because i happened to be born on a different part of the planet to them as if it's an achieved status. And i still can't get over anyone stupid enough to have bought into that england shirt/flag being illegal shit, suprised at how many simple minded morons were roped into it, "who needs rational judgement when i can try and impress people who possess the shittest values in life with my xenophobia".

The flag thing is pretty gay.

I wear England shirts when I play football and sometimes if watching a game at the pub or something...Nothing wrong with it in the right time and place...

But I agree in principle.

I still need to go buy the new England shirt from that place that will give your money back if we win.

Ha to be honest, the England shirts have looked the same to me for about 8 years. I think mine is about 5/6 years old itself.

That deal is a dead cert for them to keep your money.

I think the new one looks like one of my old PE kits from secondary school.

[saphyre]

and yes, I can come across as quite agressive, it's only because I feel strongly about these things, and a lot of people in this thread seem to be "yay I'm PC, I'm so cool" and it pisses me off. I am not really very Patriotic, and I'm definately not racist but I am very against censorship

im sorry but no, you have nothing to feel strongly about

and more importantly being PC is not cool, if i was this PC in real life i probably wouldnt have any friends, just saying

[j_one]

This is very much a case of people looking far too much into things that aren't there. You always have a few sour apples but they're gonna be stnuc regardless of whether they're wielding an England flag or not. Yes I find it all quite tasteless, but that's irrelevant. Makes you realise, what we're really good at as a nation is complaining at absolutely everything (even our own fucking flag).

[the acid never lies]

...and it isn't PC to say that patriotism is a load of wank. Maybe if we had a proper war all the nationalists would stop being so bloody uptight

I don't care about flags if you want to wave one go ahead bud but all this talk of PC brigades, deportation and "I'm not racist but" is making me want to burn one for shits and giggles

[Ayatollah]

I don't get why you wouldn't represent your country and join the festivities and feeling of community that happens during the World Cup, but yeah, whatever. Only a complete wanker would whine and moan about it though. Oh and if you think it's about racism then you're probably the biggest idiot ever.

And lmao at the dude bitching about how girls are hypocrites for cheering on their country during the World Cup.

People from all ethnic backgrounds are represented by the English flag so by definition it isn't a racial symbol... I can see how it might be argued for xenophobia, but then... I mean, the World Cup is a fucking competition... it's not the Junior Special Olympics where everyone's a fucking winner and nobody's allowed to enjoy their guys being better than the others.... one country will be crowned BEST AT FOOTBALL within a month and they're perfectly within their rights to remind everyone about it for a while.

Unless they're Portuguese, obviously.

Could you elaborate? (I'm portuguese)

edit: Is it cos we kicked your ass in 1986, 2000, 2004 and 2006 every European and World Cup match in the last 24 years?

[WhosZena]

Anyone been in Tescos recently?

Just in express the other day there were 60 odd flags hanging from the ceiling.

And I thought they were multi-cultural.