Flags

The Spanish flag in Madrid's Plaza de Colón is not withstanding the elements. Oh dear. The year hasn't even started two months ago and it's already been torn three times. The latest incident occurred this week, in an image that must be added to the collection of anecdotes about Spanish flags taking damage. There are quite a few. Even involving paratroopers and lampposts. The repertoire is extensive. It can't be said that Spain skimps on resources in this regard. On the contrary. The flag in Madrid's Plaza de Colón is also worth a lot of money. It's enormous, 294 square meters, and weighs 35 kilos, which is overweight for a flag. But when you have an attack ofexhibitionism Patriotism is far better than a flag stuck on a stick. Furthermore, the Spanish state needs to assert itself, not because it is recognized as a state, but simply to be recognized. But speaking of recognition, exhibitionism flag It's not exclusive to Madrid or Spain. Many nations practice it. And even unrecognized nations, which might make a bit more sense if one weren't allergic to flags, as is the case with those who call themselves "citizens of the world." Now, when there's a battle between gusts of wind like the ones we've been experiencing lately, flags lose in the first round. And because they're so symbolic, they immediately project the image of a broken country. This time, we Catalans have nothing to do with it. What a shame. The loss of prominence we've suffered in such a short time is comparable to a flag torn by the wind. However, we may be partly to blame. It's ironic that the new storm is called PeterThat would never have occurred to me. But speaking of symbolism, Pedro breaks up Spain. And speaking of jokes, this one's bad, I know.

The Spanish flag isn't the only one that's suffered the consequences of the storms. In the US, the LGBTQ+ flag at the Stonewall National Memorial in New York, the birthplace of the LGBTQ+ rights movement, was also taken down, in this case by Storm Trump, who, if it weren't for his skin tone being so jarring to match, would also banish the oranges from California. Stonewall is a historical site that refers to the gay bar where homosexuals met in the sixties and seventies and which suffered the brutal wrath of a police raid on June 28, 1969. Hence, June 28 is International Pride Day. For the Republican administration, the flag that flew in Greenwich Village doesn't meet the new criteria for flags in public spaces. Basically, what's allowed is the Star-Spangled Banner. But, unlike the Spanish flag, which waits for the storm to pass PeterIn New York, the Democrats took it upon themselves to raise the flag again and warn that if it's taken down again, they have plenty more. The Department of the Interior, for its part, labeled the disobedience a "political maneuver"—as if taking it down wasn't one—through which the Democrats intend to distract from all the problems plaguing the city. Political arguments often end up chatting in the same alley. And the flags are carried away by the wind or the relevant administration.

The most interesting thing of all, because it could all seem somewhat ridiculous, is seeing the extent to which we've given symbolism such a prominent role in our lives. In reality, flags are pieces of cloth, usually of poor quality, or rather unattractive objects. But to maintain or remove them, blood, tears, and sweat have been shed.