2 July 2009

Images of Canberra - Do we need more flags

| johnboy
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[First filed: July 01, 2009 @ 11:11]

As seen in the car park of the Braddon Club yesterday.

How many Australian flags are enough on a Toyota Ute?

Got an image of Canberra you want to share with the world? Email it to images@the-riotact.com

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Pelican,

Were you thinking of a bloke named pauline hanson?

pelican… hee hee

#68 +5!!!!!

Pelican Lini1:10 am 03 Jul 09

The recently departed decade-long dark ages were imposed by a little bloke with a stupid twisted grin and twitching shoulder.
His name escapes me but I hold him responsible for encouraging a phony flag-draped brand of patriotism which appeared to fuel an aggressive nationalism and hostility towards other residents considered not to be Australian.
There’s nothing wrong in overtly demonstrating pride in our nation but thanks to this bloke, the practice has definitely become adulterated with negative and sinister connotations.
I prefer traditional Australian values of quiet national pride and not giving a rat’s arse about waving flags or kowtowing to any other symbols of authority.
I loved the celebration of larrikin and ratbag spirits, the open and friendly national character and a belief in a fair go for all.
These and other values came close to being dead and buried during those dark ages and I hope we never see their like again.
Lest we forget.

What’s with all of the Anti-US sentiment? If you’ve travelled the world, you’ll realise you can see this kind of thing anywhere. I’m a proud Aussie and its elitist pricks like DrKarl who embarrass me the most, not “some bogan” who chooses to display the flag on his ute. Grouping this person with the “we’re full” crowd is pretty ignorant too Timberwolf. For all you know the owner of this vehicle is a proud ADF member and/or a descendent someone who served.
Everyone needs to drop the “im better than you” attitude. You may be better than me, but there is always someone better than you too.

I have an idea for you DrKarl, next time you see a ute like this with flags and other “bogan” paraphernalia, wait by it and confront the driver and tell them what a bogan dickhead and wannabe American he/she is and take their flags from them…

braddonboy said :

Hey Cletus, how did the said dead digger get to a) mount the flags on the hilux and b) drive it to Baraddon?

a) presumably they were alive at some stage
b) apparently you don’t have to own a car to drive it somewhere

You didn’t think about that very hard, did you?

DrKarl said :

I think I got better things to do than stir up bogans

Apparently you don’t because you keep posting. Here’s something to think about: if you believe you’re better than some groups of people, and that you’re better qualified to dictate how they think and behave, then you’re badly mistaken. I think that kind of attitude is at the cause of a lot of the problems in the world. What do you think about that?

Let me see……

hilux.
Virtually unbreakable, goes anywhere and keeps going, copes with the knocks, no fuss, no bother.

A worthy mount point for one of our national symbols I would have thought.

And to the posters pointing out the Asian heritage of the Hilux (Japanese design, Thai build) are you saying that Asians are not valid contributors to our country? I would vehemently disagree.

I think I got better things to do than stir up bogans

I am delighted4:30 pm 02 Jul 09

ant said :

I am delighted said :

FFS let people do want they want, just because it doesn’t fit in with your la de da PC world. You don’t have let the whole world know, freaking cry baby.

I’m glad people who make comments like this are on the opposing side.

Do I hear someone whining, I think I dooo…

Clown Killer3:33 pm 02 Jul 09

We should be proud to have people who are proud of the country.

I am. Incredibly. But I don’t need to make a tool out of myself at the same time.

Danman said :

Feathergirl, I present the flag of the A.C.T.

Can’t have that. Its got a southern cross on it.

Must mean we’re all bogans.

Feathergirl, I present the flag of the A.C.T.

Is it possible to get little Canberra flags? Now I would put one of them on my car, but I don’t think they exist.

Zombie Patriots, the most fearful kind of zombie!

We’re due for in influx of kangaroo zombies soon, now you can’t get more patriotic than that. Be afraid…

Secret Squirrel11:56 am 02 Jul 09

Secret Squirrel said :

Zombie Patriots, the most fearful kind of zombie!

Other than MJ coming back to life that is.

Secret Squirrel11:55 am 02 Jul 09

braddonboy said :

Hey Cletus, how did the said dead digger get to a) mount the flags on the hilux and b) drive it to Baraddon?

Zombie Patriots, the most fearful kind of zombie!

“Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all others because you were born in it.”

George Bernard Shaw

Hey Cletus, how did the said dead digger get to a) mount the flags on the hilux and b) drive it to Baraddon?

Thats it S4anta – this is Australia !!

We should be proud to have people who are proud of the country.

I am sure as hell sick of seeing “Tongan Pride, Italia banners on BMW’s” when the driver of the vehicle was born here. I mean it seems like its more acceptable to have multicultural stickers, flags on your car then our own.

But no doubt me saying this will result in “obviously Chopper has a southern cross tattoo” & “another aussie redneck” from people who arent proud of australia.

Isn’t it odd, to see an Australian wanting to display an Australian flag? Who would ever have thought it possible? Only Americans do that sort of thing… oh, and Lebanese. They have cypruses everywhere. Awfully vulgar, don’t you think? Oh, and then there’s the Canadians, who plaster maple leaves up wherever there’s a spare centimetre! Disgraceful! And those French people with their tricolor all over every balcony they can find! I’ve even seen a Russian farmer carrying a sickle once! You see these things you buy from New Zealand, and they’ve got some silly fern leaf printed on them. And those horrid young hooligans from the UK, and even some who aren’t from the UK, wandering around with Union Jacks plastered all over themselves! Inadequate parenting, if you ask me! I’d never let my children wear a symbol, or especially to put one on a car! How terribly vulgar and American…

Anyone who has a problem with someone putting one, two, three or four hundred aussie flags or decals on their vehicle, house or humpy obviously is suffering from cultural cringe, and needs to have a good hard look at themselves.

I for one think it is about time that as a country we take a bit of pride in ourselves and our emblems, we are the best country in the world and we need to remind ourselves of that from time to time. We are Aussies, and we have a habit of being a bit over the top where national pride is concerned, its how its always been and should stay that way.

Providing that these emblems do not become associated with the unfortunate events of the whole Bondi thing a few years back there is no real harm.

Secret Squirrel8:28 am 02 Jul 09

Next Karl and Ant will be saying “the Olympics are becoming Americanised, too much flag waving, ban the Olympics”!!!

Who cares where the flags are made, or where his truck is made. He’s showing the flags because he’s a proud Aussie, and he loves his country. I’m sure if you asked him he’d say IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH AMERICA!!!

And by the way, my car has an Australian flag sticker with the words “fly our flag” underneath it, put there by the previous owner. There’s also an Australian 39th Infantry, Kokoda 1943 sticker. I don’t smell a hint of irony that it’s a Japanese car: flags aren’t necessarily a sign of irrational hatred, it could be pride in your country.

But would you say that only diggers should be allowed to love Australia? Or would you think that they are the only ones who should be able to put flags on their cars? Everyone else has to fly their regulation sized and constructed flags strictly according to your rules? Do you think you’d also be able to please censor any words and symbols that might appear on my cars, clothes, tatoos, boxer shorts, etc? I’d really hate for you to think I’m not “chilled out” or that I don’t give people a “fair go”, sir.

DrKarl, for somebody so politically correct and tolerant as I’m sure you think you are, you certainly have no problems telling people how to think and act. Well you are obviously superior to this race of bogan savages, you should start up a mission in Charnwood to help save the souls of the poor natives.

Question: if the owner of that ute with its non-silk, incorrect size, poor quality, non-flagpoled flags was actually an Australian digger who lost his or her life in action, would you go insane?

Speak for yourself ant

Whats worse is wearing the flag on your Ass as a pair of Boxer shorts, getting skid marks all over it.
as some dick head going Oi oi oi “f@#$ off we are full” dunk as on Australia day

I have nothing against it being a quality silk made, correct size flag, displayed on a flag pole, with thought and honor given for the tens of thousands of Australian diggers who have lost there lives in the countries name, fighting for the chilled out values we hold, and a fair go to all, I mean ALL!

Australians used to have a love of country that was not showy as the Americans, as their love of old glory displayed proudly on their houses etc. Australians do not do this; we are NSW, Qld as state of origin nationalism
We love a quiet patriotism as opposed to natoinalism. We are ambivalent, as the Irish in us (30%) do not like the thought as English dominance, as depicted by our flag.
We are Australian, we do not copy America,.

OMG …… we are turning into americans by showing our flag ….. THE WORLD IS FALLING APART. GOD HELP US ALL !!!!!!!

Australia had been getting “americanised” a looong time ago. At least these people are showing their patriotism by flying our flag and not theirs. Wake up people, some people showing OUR flag is not the end of the world.

All these patriots, adopting an American way of displaying patriotism. I don’t even think Australians seriously thought of being “patriotic” until the yanks showed us their way of doing it.

V twin venom10:12 pm 01 Jul 09

The flag being manufactured in another county is irrelevant. It’s a display of patriotism even if it’s cheap. I am currently designing a tattoo for myself that features an aboriginal style dot painting lizard that has it’s feet and the point of it’s tail in the positions of the stars of the Southern cross. That’s how I want to show my patriotism for our great southern land if if someone else want to display their patriotism in another way that their choice. Disclaimer – I am not of a indigenous heritage but I wish pay my respect to the custodians of our land.

Having just read that last sentence, I should have been a politician.

Or I am proud to be Auatralian.

Die Lefty Scum9:02 pm 01 Jul 09

The Australian flag has been well and truly bastardised by tools such as this.

Pandy said :

How Un-australian to display this on a Japanese car made in Thailand

I think you forgot to mention that the flag was probably manufactured in China…

My hulix had as many Aussie flags on it if not more I also have an Australian flag waving at my gate, Why because I’m proud to be an Australian.

shauno said :

Good on him. He’s proud to be Australian why bring any other issues into it (e.g. Union Jack in the flag)

But but…. s/he (Holden Caulfield) started it…! 😉

Holden Caulfield said :

Seems you don’t remember the referendum, as the flag wasn’t even mentioned. While there is a link, of course, they remain two separate issues.
*snip*

I hear ya. And I’m sure your statements are pretty much technical correct.

I do remember that the 1999 referendum was about the wording in our constitution, replacing the name of the head of state and GG. For fellow Rioter’s info, back then all households were posted a booklet of the complete constitution with the revised parts. (and damn me for throwing it away! Does anyone still have a copy that they’re willing to part with?)

As you’ve already mentioned, there is a link between our constintution and our national flag because, I believe, it came from our collective forfathers’ hearts with the best interest of our nation in mind.

Call me a romantist or an ideologist, but I’d say that changing our national flag first is like taking a swing at the old lady (whether that may be the Queen, UK, or the Commonwealth to different people) before throwing down the gauntlet at her feet. I’d call it a morally correct protocol.

Waving a flag, just proves you can wave a flag. Nothing more. The most treasonous traitor can still wave a flag.
As Fabforty said the worry is those who display it as a way of trying to justify less savoury attitudes and behavours.

What gets me is the “Southern Cross” stickers with “love it or leave” matched message fail to understand that the southern cross is on at least 7 nations flags not to mention at least one division of another countries military.

*cue response from ute owner about how they’re not a bogan but actually have a high paying job*

How Un-australian to display this on a Japanese car made in Thailand

shauno said :

Good on him. He’s proud to be Australian why bring any other issues into it especially the anti American crap.

Are people without flags somehow less proud to be Australian?

What the hell does that mean anyway?

For me the issue is that some people use patriotism as justification for Cronulla style religious and cultural intolerance.

Mr EVIL you are wrong.

It is a Hilux so he can fit many more on.

Go the flags and go the HILUX!

I LOVE IT

Nice flag – shame about the ute.

“Remember the 1999 referendum?”

I remember that a majority of people voted that we didn’t want an Australian head of state that was elected by politicians.

Just ask the question do we want to become a republic, then see how we go.

After spending a number of years living overseas, I was shocked in January to see how ‘Americanised’ Australia Day has become. It is becoming more and more like the 4th of July and losing it’s own sense of identity along the way.

I see this car with all it’s flags as just another step in this process. It has never been within our national identity to blatently flaunt our ‘national pride’ in this way – Australian’s are renowned for being laid back and chilled – not ‘let’s shove it down your throat’ Let’s remember who we are and be proud to have our own identity! (and yes I do realise the irony of my comments)

Clown Killer4:58 pm 01 Jul 09

This isn’t patriotism, it’s toolism.

When these made in China flags have faded in the sun and the weather they’ll end up in the bin at Car Lovers. Disposable. …. What were we discussing again?

I can’t believe people are getting hot under the collar about some flags on cars ……. FFS people get a life, REALLY.

“Damn flag carrying grumble, grumble, young bumpkins ….. get rid of em I say”

The flag is identity and is meant to be displayed, if people choose to do that, good on em.

What’s happening here? I just parked behind a car that had Aussie flag seat-covers and dashboard cover. I don’t get it. Plastering the flag here, there and everywhere smacks of tokenism, not true patriotism. But then I am a cynical Gen X-er…

Holden Caulfield4:18 pm 01 Jul 09

Nambucco Deliria said :

It’s a Union Flag, Holden, not a Union Jack.

Yes, I was wondering if someone would make that point. Union Jack is popularly accepted and worked a bit better in the sentence I used.

I am delighted said :

FFS let people do want they want, just because it doesn’t fit in with your la de da PC world. You don’t have let the whole world know, freaking cry baby.

I’m glad people who make comments like this are on the opposing side.

Timberwolf653:50 pm 01 Jul 09

As many as the person wants, nothing wrong with being proud to be Australian, he just needs a F*#k off we’re full sticker as well!

Nambucco Deliria3:40 pm 01 Jul 09

It’s a Union Flag, Holden, not a Union Jack.

that’s Virginia Hausegger’s truck

Good on him. He’s proud to be Australian why bring any other issues into it especially the anti American crap.

Holden Caulfield2:51 pm 01 Jul 09

Seems you don’t remember the referendum, as the flag wasn’t even mentioned. While there is a link, of course, they remain two separate issues.

That is, having a foreigner assuming our head of state by birth does not preclude us from changing our flag. Equally, when we do wake up to ourselves and become a republic we will not be required to change our flag. We will also still remain in the Commonwealth so we can win all those medals every four years too.

Holden Caulfield said :

Our flag does have one too many Union Jacks on it.

Err… who’s our head of state?
Remember the 1999 referendum?

We can discuss about a new flag until the cows come home *after* the deed is done.

Holden Caulfield2:30 pm 01 Jul 09

Not concerned about the flags on the ute so much. However, our flag does have one too many Union Jacks on it.

I am delighted2:23 pm 01 Jul 09

FFS let people do want they want, just because it doesn’t fit in with your la de da PC world. You don’t have let the whole world know, freaking cry baby.

Post #8 said “Sounds like something a jingoistic redneck Australian might do before turning back to their American television and a bottle of Coca Cola”.

Don’t drink Coke and watch ABC & SBS, but do think Obama is OK, he has a lot of damage to repair, Have lived in North America above the 49th parallel and I eat Weekbix. Wouldn’t condenser myself a redneck ever.

who was it who said “patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel” ?
Not that I’m saying the owner is bad, just that displaying those flags means something to him/her. could be a lot worse.
I usually read all the other stickers on the vehicle to get a better picture but it looks like just flags on this one. So maybe they’s just a proud Aussie

Needs more frangipanis.

Someone should start selling decals & bumper stickers already

Woody Mann-Caruso1:38 pm 01 Jul 09

Did an American sh.t in your cornflakes, ant? Or do you regularly lump over 300 million people into one homogenous mass? Sounds like something a jingoistic redneck Australian might do before turning back to their American television and a bottle of Coca Cola.

Depends what you call a patriot:

from dictionary.com

noun

1. a person who loves, supports, and defends his or her country and its interests with devotion.

2. a person who regards himself or herself as a defender, esp. of individual rights, against presumed interference by the federal government.

don’t know to which category flags on ya car belong

Secret Squirrel said :

Yes, we wouldn’t want to be overtly patriotic, would we? What sort of a message would that send? That we love our country? And we wouldn’t want that!

I’m guessing you’ve got a Southern Cross tattoo.

Secret Squirrel said :

Yes, we wouldn’t want to be overtly patriotic, would we? What sort of a message would that send? That we love our country? And we wouldn’t want that!

Yep, we love our country by plastering the flag around, just like the good little wannabe Americans that we are.

Secret Squirrel1:12 pm 01 Jul 09

Yes, we wouldn’t want to be overtly patriotic, would we? What sort of a message would that send? That we love our country? And we wouldn’t want that!

This poor ute owner seems to have run out of places to mount more flags. I’m sure if he gave it some deep thought and had a wander round SupaCheap, he could get a few more on.

I agree with DrKarl, this reducing the flag to a brand cheapens it, the Americans are very good at this. It’s sad to see us follow them.

DrKarl said :

National symbols should be register with the IPA and displayed in a more dignified manner. This only cheapens our national image like the USA.

Pretentious much?

National symbols should be register with the IPA and displayed in a more dignified manner. This only cheapens our national image like the USA.

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