> So Chuck, who is an anarchist, is supposed to get down with
> Mr. Average American by waving the flag of a nation-state
> which, of course, he doesn't believe in? What if Mr. Average
> American happens to have a good bullshit detector?
I'm also an anarchist, but the thought of displaying an American flag at a rally or teach-in doesn't really offend me. Like I said, I have no real attachment to flags of any kind (not even the hallowed Black Flag), but I am interested in reaching Mr. and Ms. Average American, and if showing the flag makes puts them at ease and makes them receptive to the arguments that come after, then I'm all for it. I'm not talking about going gonzo-doodle-dandy, but would it have truly offended those at the SF teach-in Raimondo attended to have had at least *one* flag on display?
Chuck shouldn't do anything that makes his skin crawl, but he should think before saying the flag belongs in the trash, especially now. And what is so controversial about the flag, anyhow? Many anti-Vietnam war marchers waved or carried flags, as did many in the civil rights movement. The flag is part of the landscape we presume to reform if not radically change. To ignore this, or worse, say it should be destroyed without consulting those who have strong ties to it is to essentially say that "the left" is a private club, and that average Americans are not welcome unless they leave their flags at the door. Dumb. Stupid. Pointless.
DP