I mean it’s actually ridiculous for Americans to start panicking that the conditions of their country can no longer appear pristinely democratic, as is has always been only for outward appearance. It insults billions living in unimaginably worse conditions in the global south exploited by the US.
cant remember the source but someone (i think a comedian) said "in no other country do citizens safely entrenched in their country's borders have the need to attach that country's flag to their houses & vehicles except in america" — do people feel at risk forgetting where they live? it's funny af.
the propaganda of super patriotism... it has every american living daily as if they are kamikaze fighters ready to violently insert themselves into every aspect of life threatening homogeneity—especially in those areas in which thought, nuance,and self-reflection are the most needed.
Clearly they've not polled the populist representatives north of the border in their
✅ oversized pickup trucks with
✅ two or more GIANT Canadian flags
✅ rolling coal and
✅ a "FUCK TRUDEAU" sticker in the back window
i know canada is proud of their hockey teams and that's my association with that (tho admittedly, likely fundamentally wrong) as ive never thought my existance was threatened at the sight of a canadian flag. is that the case? as with the confederate flag & old glory?
With the added context, yes...100%. Seeing people flying the Canadian flag from their trucks these days evokes an ominous sense of dread and anxiety, not pride.
Caveat: hockey is a LARGE part of the Canadian identity. Along with passive-aggressively snobbish inferiority complexes thinly disguised as politeness.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a hockey fan fly a Canadian flag for hockey reasons though. Even for the Olympics all jerseys (adds with an eyeroll, “sweaters”)
It has accelerated with right-wing pro-pipeline, anti-vax, anti-justin, anti-queer truck convoys, but it has always been lurking. And there is at least one racist hate group that flies the Canadian Red Ensign (national flag before 1965).
Don't forget the healthy dose of old-time religion. Case in point:
"Canada is a home provided by God...thank Jesus Christ...let us rebuild our country the way that would make Him proud."
~Pierre Poilievre, June 30, Family Life Worship Centre
I had a giant Canadian flag up in my front window for years (which for me, as an immigrant, was a way to say "thank you" to my adopted home and signal that I belong here now) and I took it down when the convoy happened because they really made it look much worse to have one. :/
As a kid I had a maple leaf flag and for a minute I had a tshirt. That was the early 70s, cultural nationalism seemed like resistance to me, but I think it always, always hit differently for Indigenous people.
Definitely not in the same pile as the Confederate flag.
Mostly we weren't known for going flag-crazy the way the US does, until a bunch of anti vax right wing nut jobs went all in putting them on their cars. If it's not on a car it's probably fine, if it is on a car best to avoid them
