We stole countries with the cunning use of flags. Just sail around the world and stick a flag in. 'I claim India for Britain!' And they're going, 'You can't claim us, we live here! There's five hundred million of us!' - 'Do you have a flag?' - 'We don't need a bloody flag, this is our country, you bastard!' - 'No flag, no country! You can't have one! That's the rules, that... I've just made up.'
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Izzard argues that colonialism used flags to claim land despite local populations existing.
- In plain terms
- Colonial powers claimed land with flags ignoring people already there.
- What can you take from it?
- Symbols like flags were used to justify taking land.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Who owns land?
- How do symbols create power?
Another view
It simplifies complex historical processes into a single rule.
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