In an attempt to clock up 120 driving hours required to progress from Ls to Ps these days I took my friend P for a Sunday drive today. After consulting google maps we decided to head south and check out the beach at Bundeena.
As we left the safety of the inner-city and got into the deep south there were a few things I noticed: firstly the drivers around those parts were really aggressive, there were lots of super super shiny new expensive cars on the roads and more confusingly, a lot of Australian flags. On cars, on houses, and when we got to the beach, on clothing.
I find this relatively new phenomenon of extreme patriotism alarming. I mean, I love Australia but this whole flag thing doesn't feel like it's about national pride, it's more about the mob mentality. When did this happen? I know it's connected to those horrible summer riots over the beaches in Cronulla a few years ago, but all those people already had flags ready to wave and force people to bow to and kiss.
So when did they go out and get them? Is this another Howard Legacy? Is the fascination with the flag somehow connected to our increasing Americanisation, because the Americans are so into their own flag and being so expressively patriotic?? Or is it something else? Is this culture of patriotism and flag-loving here to stay?
*** an after-thought, my friend Kate suggested I read the article David Foster Wallace wrote about flags in America just after 9/11. It looks like it was originally published in Rolling Stone Magazine. It's called The View From Mrs Thompson's. Check it out.
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