Flags, Football, & Dragons

My brothers-in-law have been glued to the TV, like many Britons, watching the World Cup. As it seemed the appropriately testosterony thing to do, I've joined them for many a game and have really enjoyed it.

Between games yesterday, I walked to the nearby village. Lipi remarked to me how strange it was to see St. George's Cross all over the place and proceeded to explain that the flag (see above) is for England only. Now that the Welsh and the Scots have their own parliaments, Lipi argued, they've had to deconstruct the Union Jack somewhat. I hated to tell her that they've always used the Red cross on a white field for the national team.

Regardless, it got me to thinking about the Union Jack and it's composition and how silly flags are. Slap down some colored stripes on field of primary color and you've got yourself a shared national identity. I love Rem Koolhaas' EU flag proposal. I find it a statement on this very point and something really beautiful to regard as well.

If you are going to make a flag, I think it helps to have some crazy mythical creatures on it (humped zebra, perhaps?). If I made a flag, I'd put Bigfoot on it. Anyway, forget St. George's Cross. We want to see Dragons!! The Welsh have got it right.

(the english crest does sport dragons. the americans need bigfoots, I tell you!)

UPDATE: I am an idiot. The crest shows three LIONS not dragons. Lions are pretty cool though. But still not as cool as a bigfoot.