@the_great_she_elephant wrote:
Whether is it currently used or not, is irrevelant. Much much greater atrocities was commited under the Rising Sun than any other flags combined, including the Nazi flag. Yet, Nazi flag and Confederate flag are banned and rising sun is freely sold and wored as young people.
Whether it is currently used or not - and by whom - is not irrelevant, it is the very reason for the banning. There would be scarcely a flag in the world under which attrocities have not been committed - in factone could argue that over the centuries more abusse of human rights have have been committed under the Union Jack than under the Rising Sun. The point is that neither the Union Jack.nor the Rising Sun flag have been adopted post war by overtly racist or supremicist organisation and used to inspire members to commit murder.
The swastika was a sanskrit symbol depicting good luck - early editions of Kipling's "The Just So Stories" actully display it in many of th illustrations. Sadly it was hi-jacked by the Nazis and later by neo fascist groups and became a symbol of white supremicism. The same thing has happened with the Confederate flag and that too is a great shame, since it has great historical significence for many people.
If the Eureka flag were hjacked by an overtly racist organisation and waved proudly by someone who had just committed multiple murders in a racially motivated act of terrorism, then, yes, it would be time to retire it to a museum and ban the sale of it - not to do so would insult the memory of those who fought under it at the Eureka Stockade.
BTW how long have you had this burning desire to possess a confederate flag?
The "red peril" adopted a red "you reek of stockade" flag in the late 50's ie Hardy and others...gotta luv them libbo
United Australia PM's..notice anything sort of parallel to todays world political/conflict situation???
http://www.skwirk.com/p-c_s-56_u-490_t-1333_c-5124/the-fear-of-communism-in-australia/tas/the-fear-o...
Robert Menzies then held a referendum to attempt to change the Commonwealth constitution so the Communist Party Dissolution Act could come into force.
The Referendum asked the Australian public if they were willing to grant the federal government more legislative power, so the government could deal with the threat of communism.
The Australian public voted 'No' and Menzies and the Liberal Party failed in their bid to ban the CPA.
The referendum was defeated because the government seemed to be trying to extend its power too far, not because Australians wanted to save the CPA.
The defeat of the referendum did not mean the end of the hunt for communists within Australian society. The 1950s saw an increase in the fear of communism.
A popular saying at the time was 'Reds under the beds', because people were afraid that communists might be everywhere, waiting for a chance to start a communist revolution.
Today, the Eureka flag is often used as a symbol of rebellion against authority by people at the extreme left and the extreme right of the political spectrum in Australia.
It has been used in marches by neo-Nazis on the one hand and draped over the coffins of deceased Communists on the other.
TELL ME AND I WILL FORGET, SHOW ME AND I MAY REMEMBER,, INVOLVE ME AND I WILL UNDERSTAND Confucius 450bc
