Flagging up a problem with football

English nationalism is never progressive—nor is waving the flag (Pic: Wikimedia Commons)

Only last summer, racists were hanging England flags on lampposts to intimidate black and brown people.

This summer, that same flag is going up again, but this time it is rebranded as “patriotism” or “pride”.

England’s success in the men’s football World Cup has been used to cultivate a friendly face of nationalism.

But English nationalism is never progressive—nor is waving the flag.

From the “plantation of Ulster”, to the enslavement of millions of Africans and the systematic starvation of Bengal, nationalist symbols were designed to foster pride in a murderous system.

In the 19th century, Tory prime minister Benjamin Disraeli spoke of upholding the “empire of England”.

It was a conscious ploy to make working class people identify a shared common interest with the politicians, bankers and bosses.

The notion of English superiority was used as the glue to try to bind them together.

Ahead of England’s match against the Democratic Republic of the Congo, England fans were heard saying, “We’ve colonised them once, we’ll colonise them twice.”

The ruling class wants us to believe that everyone can be drawn together under these flags and football shirts.

But there’s no such thing as progressive patriotism—it’s time the left flagged up the problem.