Monday, 22nd January, 2007
The organiser of the annual Big Day Out rock concert has set the cat among the pigeons by suggesting it would be a good idea if those attending the concert in Sydney left their Australian flags at home. He was concerned that the flag would be used as it was in last year's Cronulla riots, as a symbol of racism instead of a symbol of patriotism.
The response from both state and federal government and the RSL has been predictable, everyone competing with one another in the puffed up and indignant stakes: "outrageous", "unbelievable", "the flag is a symbol of national unity and pride", blah, blah, blah. Look, we all know that flags were a symbol of warfare, carried into battle so that warriors knew which side they were on and very sensible, too, considering that in modern warfare with high-tech super-duper everything, killing your allies is par for the course: "Oops! Friendly fire!"
Bill Hicks on flags:
I personally do not believe in burning the flag. It's a personal belief, but I'll tell you something. I think people are overreacting, oh, just a little bit. "Hey, buddy, my daddy died for that flag." Well, I bought mine. Sorry. You know, they sell them at K-Mart for three bucks - you're in, you're out, brand new flag, no violence was necessary. "Hey, buddy, my daddy died in the Korean war for that flag!" What a coincidence - my flag was made in Korea!
and Arundhati Roy:
Flags are bits of coloured cloth that governments use to first, shrink wrap people's brains and then as ceremonial shrouds to bury the dead.
The Big Day Out has traditionally been held on Australia Day but this year it has been brought forward to the day before so as to avoid over-enthusiastic patriotism (thuggery). There is now talk of cancelling it altogether.
The organiser of the annual Big Day Out rock concert has set the cat among the pigeons by suggesting it would be a good idea if those attending the concert in Sydney left their Australian flags at home. He was concerned that the flag would be used as it was in last year's Cronulla riots, as a symbol of racism instead of a symbol of patriotism.
The response from both state and federal government and the RSL has been predictable, everyone competing with one another in the puffed up and indignant stakes: "outrageous", "unbelievable", "the flag is a symbol of national unity and pride", blah, blah, blah. Look, we all know that flags were a symbol of warfare, carried into battle so that warriors knew which side they were on and very sensible, too, considering that in modern warfare with high-tech super-duper everything, killing your allies is par for the course: "Oops! Friendly fire!"
Bill Hicks on flags:
I personally do not believe in burning the flag. It's a personal belief, but I'll tell you something. I think people are overreacting, oh, just a little bit. "Hey, buddy, my daddy died for that flag." Well, I bought mine. Sorry. You know, they sell them at K-Mart for three bucks - you're in, you're out, brand new flag, no violence was necessary. "Hey, buddy, my daddy died in the Korean war for that flag!" What a coincidence - my flag was made in Korea!
and Arundhati Roy:
Flags are bits of coloured cloth that governments use to first, shrink wrap people's brains and then as ceremonial shrouds to bury the dead.
The Big Day Out has traditionally been held on Australia Day but this year it has been brought forward to the day before so as to avoid over-enthusiastic patriotism (thuggery). There is now talk of cancelling it altogether.
Do people really want to take the Australian flag to a rock concert? These affairs used to be attended by 10,000 stoned people enthusiastic for the downfall of government and all authority. What happened? It's very disappointing to know that a rock concert check list now reads: "Grog, drugs ... flag."
posted by Rosie at 1:47 PM
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