For a while, before Greece was eliminated, I, too, had the blue and white flag flying from my car. I’m not one for over-the-top patriotic displays. In fact, I go out of my way to downplay them. I suppose that, in this respect, I’m as Canadian as they come. Unlike our neighbours to the South, who tend to have a flag post planted in every front lawn, as if they live in fear that they might wake up one morning and forget what country they reside in, we Canadians are much more low-key about our national sense of belonging. Heck, it’s been 143 years since we became a country and we’re still debating whether we’re a nation that works.
But my cousin would have none of it. He shoved a Greek flag in my hands and yelled: "Show some pride!” And this is how I ended up driving with one on my car. I have to admit, I felt self-conscious at first. A little like an imposter or one of those fair weather Canadiens fans, who decided to jump on the bandwagon only after the Habs made the playoffs. I prefer to consider myself more of a citizen of the world, and here I was, in a sense “yelling” out to everyone on Decarie Blvd “I’m Greek! This is the club I belong to.”
Yet, when other Greeks would honk back in solidarity, I caught myself smiling. When a few non-Greeks yelled out “Opa!” I laughed. When I drove past someone with an Italian, Portuguese, or Brazilian flag, we nodded in mutual recognition of the FIFA fever gripping us. It was kind of (dare I admit it?) exciting!
A Canadian ex-pat who now resides in London, whom I’m following on Twitter, tweeted this about the craze: “You will never see me attach a flag to car to show my support for a sports team made up of millionaires. My car is worth $1,000.” Fair enough.
The experiment didn’t last long, of course. Soccer power Argentina and their drama queen of a coach put an end to Greece’s dream of qualifying for the next round. We were promptly eliminated and I went ahead and removed my flag. You’ll notice that I said “we”, as if I somehow had anything to do with the success or failure of the Greek team. But it’s that precise sentiment of belonging, of being part of the club that is so alluring and addictive to so many. The World Cup is nationalism at its best – and worst. Like all international sports events, it is both a display of national pride and a crass demonstration of national arrogance.
Seneca once implied that we love our countries not because they are great, but because they are ours. It’s human nature to bond, to want to belong to a family, to be part of something bigger than yourself. It’s what fraternities and gangs rely on to increase their membership, isn’t it? -
But flags are mainly about politics. While Montreal is awash in FIFA-related flags, City Hall recently became a battleground for another silly non-issue. Rosemont mayor, Francois Croteau, suddenly noticed that three flags fly outside of Montreal City Hall (Montreal’s, Quebec’s and Canada’s), and he felt that Quebec’s Fleur-de-Lys should enjoy prominence by being in the middle. At the moment, the Maple Leaf “enjoys” that coveted spot. Is there nothing of importance that needs to be tackled in Rosemont? Have all its issues been successfully resolved that Croteau has now turned his attention to flag order? Call me unimpressed, but with pressing matters plaguing Montreal regarding infrastructure, corruption, development and a lack of leadership, isn’t squabbling over flag order a lot like re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic while it’s sinking? I wish our elected representatives would focus at the real issues at hand and stop trying to distract us from their incompetence. It insults my intelligence.
Flags are a beautiful thing, but I’m also wary of them. The weight of what they symbolize… the connotations surrounding them… You can wrap yourself in them (pun intended) and never fully see the bigger picture. Seneca once implied that we love our countries not because they are great, but because they are ours. It’s human nature to bond, to want to belong to a family, to be part of something bigger than yourself. It’s what fraternities and gangs rely on to increase their membership, isn’t it? It’s a sentiment that’s used for both good and bad. Throughout history flags have been used to inspire both love for and hate against. One can never underestimate their power as symbols.
Political pundit Bill Moyers once wrote about “men with flags in their lapels who shoot missiles from the safety of Washington think tanks or argue that sacrifice is good as long as they don’t have to make it.”
Venerable Canadian rock band once sang: "Better the pride that resides in a citizen of the world, than the pride that divides when a colourful rag is unfurled".
We’re all citizens of the world, no matter which colourful rag we choose (or are taught) to unfurl. In this increasingly complex and interconnected world we live in, that sometimes bears reminding…
