I think you'll find that the American pre-occupation with the flag
started with the revolution and has grown ever since. It was the war of
1812 that produced the lyrics or our national anthem "The Star Spangled
Banner". <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Star-Spangled_Banner> It's
just part of American culture and long predates the role of our military
or arms exports. During our early history we had to be arms importers.
We didn't much like that role.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_Day_%28United_States%29>
Chuck Norcutt
On 7/16/2012 12:04 PM, Brian Swale wrote:
> I've just looked at Chris's remarkable couple of Flags shots. Great shots in
> his style.
>
> And it reminded me that the topic of Flags is one of the great differences
> between the USA and maybe anywhere else in the world. Certainly where I
> live.
>
> In these pages we have often discussed points of difference between the
> USA and elsewhere on the usage and meaning of words in the english
> language. But not flags.
>
> I'm probably walking on thin ice here, but I (possibly) just don't "get" the
> USA
> obsession with flag. In my country you might go a whole year without seeing
> the national flag anywhere. In war years (The 1940's) it used to be flown at
> schools, and these days at the scarce military places, but that's nearly about
> it.
> The photos we have seen on this list of whole fields of the USA flag are
> unique, and I kind of wonder why.
> I have a suspicion it has something to do with the fact the the USA spends
> something like 50% of the Federal budget on military, and that it is by far
> the
> largest exporter of weaponry in the world ... but I don't know. Interesting.
> Or not, as the case may be.
>
> I have saved some graphics that illustrate the data.
>
> Brian Swale
>
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