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I think once all the WW2 diggers are gone and the Queen dies we will see the passing of a generation that has linked us to our past. Then the next republican push will be unstoppable. And that is when we will get a new flag. I am not a great monarchist or republican either way but the thought of having twit Charlie in charge will push me in only one direction. And Queen Camilla! Faaaaaaark!
The thing is, that then we will have the generation of Vietnam vets that did fight under the subjugated Australian Flag not merely the subjugating Union Flag, a flag which represents the subjugation of the Irish Flag of St Patrick, by the Queen Anne Flag which represents the subjugation of the Scottish Flag of St Andrew by the English Flag of St George.Quote:
Originally Posted by stealth
The Irish flag is the tri-colour(Orange white and green) not the St Patricks cross flag, this flag is the flag of Northern Ireland or Ulster as they would like to be known, not Irish.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lotz-A-Landies
Baz.
most of the vietnam veterans had no choice which flag they fought under, they were conscripted, and when they marched on return to australia the australian public spat upon them and threw paint over the "beloved" flag they were marching under.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lotz-A-Landies
What a small minority did back then was not about the flag and I think a very big majority of australians realise what was done to the returning vets was wrong:(
PS: the small number who burnt and spat on the flag will probably do the same no matter what flag we have
The thing to remember is it is not exactly a new flag but really an upgrade that is needed . The current flag was designed to represent British subjects living in a British Overseas Possession . And it did that job well .
But Australians haven't been ' British subjects ' for the last 26 years and Australia is now a Sovereign Independant Nation - in its own right .
A National flag should not preference any particular ethnic group . It is not a history lesson nor a memorial plaque . It is a reflection of the Polity to which you owe your allegiance . The current flag simply fails to reflect the historic changes that have occured . It is simply out of date .
Actually the flag was designed by australians to commerate the federation of australia :) have a read this has been posted before and I know republicans will not agree:) but thats ok
Flag History - The Australian Flag - History
Thats not quite correct.Quote:
Originally Posted by ramblingboy42
(it is a common misconception that most of the Australians who served in Vietnam were conscripted - this is NOT the case)
About 60,000 Asutralians served in Vietnam by the time our involvement ended, Of this about 15,300 were conscripted.
about 530 Australians died in Vietnam, of which about 200 were "Nashos". (R.I.P. all those lost)
I believe these were not forced to serve in Vietnam (except maybe by peer pressure ) as the oppourtunity existed to transfer to a non deploying area.
"All national servicemen were liable for military service in Australia and overseas, or 'special overseas service', while with the Army full-time. Officially, national servicemen could not be posted according to their wishes and therefore could not choose whether or not they served in Vietnam, although a national serviceman could apply to his commanding officer to remain in Australia on compassionate grounds. The general impression given by serving Army officers at the time is that more national servicemen were keen to serve in Vietnam than were needed, and that those unwilling to serve there were transferred to units serving only in Australia. Commanding officers were understandably reluctant to have any soldier who actively opposed participation in the war and who therefore might be a danger to other members of the unit."
(quoted from AWM site - underlining by me. Encyclopedia | Australian War Memorial )
As for what was done to the soldiers and the flag, this was done (in the words of Vets with whom Ive spoken to about it) by "hippies and ferals" (one even reffered to "the dirty long hairs"! :) ) and didnt reduce their love for their country or flag, just maybe for their fellow man!.
But back to the main point;
everyone on here is whinging about the country being broke and the governments (state and federal) wasting money when things are tight..
but we will change a flag and an anthem now (for the sheep stealing manic depressive suicidal swagman?), what will that cost?
I think that the name AUSTRALIA should be changed too
as it has the word AUSTRAL in it from AUSTRALIS and thats Latin and therefore I think refers to a foreign entity and is not appropriate...
Maybe we should use "Boonoo Boonoo" (same as the town in New South Wales) The place name means "poor country with no animals to provide food" and is Aboriginal in origin.
I can hear it now, "I AM, YOU ARE, WE ARE BOONOO BOONOORIANS"..., :)
The reason we will have no animals to provide food is all the people who know nothing about animals or stock getting in the ear of Pollies (most of whom also know nothing about stock) who then pass laws making it almost impossible to keep stock...
Seriously, our flag is very well recognised throughout the world as being ours, our anthem is now recognised throughout the world as being ours...
lets leave well enough alone...
There was no new Nation at Federation - Australians remained British . The Commonwealth Parliament was classed as a ' Colonial Legislature ' and the National flag was the Union with the addition of a colonial ensign ( a defaced British blue naval ensign ) . The choice HAD to be sent to London for the Colonial Office and the British Admiralty approval without which it could not have been used .