Tommy Robinson is at this very moment, marching through London in the ‘name of free speech’. A phrase which has now become an euphemism for ‘slagging someone off with impunity or inciting a riot’. Or more precisely, slagging someone off who I really hate, or inciting a riot against a group I disapprove of. That’s ’freedom of speech’. Something which is now the exclusive domain of ‘my side’. If ‘they’ do it, it’s ‘hate speech’, ‘incitement to violence’ and racism. All of which happen to be illegal. Even if you’re speaking them freely. Because ‘free speech’ must have its limits. And that’s where the problem lies. Where we draw the lines.

Tommy and his gang have chosen to drape themselves in flags. Both Union flags and Cross of St George, English flags. Both of which have been previously ‘hi-jacked’ by far right organisations and thus manage to ‘offend’ those on the left and those of migrant origins, to the extent that Councils are now almost on the verge of banning the Cross of St George in certain circumstances. Which is odd when you see how many Palestinian flags are flown over the capital and on several council office buildings. It’s also tragic that there are people who have chosen to live here and yet remain unforgiving of events which happened hundreds of years ago during ‘the Empire’ to the extent that a mere sighting our nation’s flag gives them mental health issues, for which that very same nation will give them payments every week.

I don’t like Tommy Robinson. He’s a thug. He may ‘support Israel’ but I simply don’t trust him. In his previous incarnations he’s headed up many organisations with antisemitic tendencies. He now flies the Star of David flag for the sole purpose of upsetting Muslims, who he really hates.

We have always ‘United behind the flag’, going back to the Romans who followed theirs into battle. Because flags unite people. Make you feel part of the gang. It’s the same at football. You wear your flag on your shirt and it’s wonderfully inclusive.

As long as you’re part of that gang. If you’re not, flags and emblems are wonderfully exclusive. From all those who are part of a different gang. Who probably hate your one.

So we have national flags. We have football flags. And in a less ‘wavey’ way, we have political flags. Which are becoming more and more divisive, to the extent that Charlie Kirk was murdered for holding up his MAGA flag. Its politics. Agree or disagree with him, Charlie loved a debate. He wasn’t Trump, both incapable of formulating a coherent argument and shouting down anything he doesn’t like. The irony being that Tyler Robinson (no relation), who shot Charlie, was a big MAGA fan too. Which in no way excuses the Democrats who celebrated his death.

It’s a world wide problem. Go to Canada and every house flies their flag. In protest against Trump’s nonsense about it becoming the 51st state.

We all love a flag. Mine is white all over.

Happy Saturday

A xxxx