Tweet
Re: ninja or pirate? in the UK the choice is made for you
An excellent point, and one well worth remembering.
One other thing comes up in regards to the pirate flag vs. a Nazi/SS flag (to continue with Shinobi's example), and that's historical perspective and current context. Three hundred years ago, the Jolly Roger in any of it's variations was seen no less than a symbol of evil than the Nazi's use of the swastika 65 years ago. To fly a pirate flag in a neighborhood back in that time period would have been unthinkable. In current times, the modern average view of pirates and the Jolly Roger is mainly influenced by movies that romanticizes how pirates are seen. One need look no further than the local cinemaplex this week to see that. At the best, pirates are seen as funny and dashing guys who swordfight with ghosts. At the worst, they might be seen as some sort of boogie man; unfriendly and not very nice, but nothing evil per se. (This seems to be the context of how the unnamed council in the UK has viewed the flag in question.)
In our technophile circles "pirates" and the Jolly Roger have taken on yet a different context even further removed from the historical truths. So much so that the we see no harm in it at all, to the point where this UK councils actions seem ridiculous.
Mention "pirates" and most people nowadays would probably think something along the lines of "swashbuckling adventure on the high seas." The wouldn't think of things like murder, grand larceny, rape or other cruelties, which is exactly the context that someone three hundred years ago would have look at it. Back then any situation with a pirate was, quite simply, kill or be killed.
To the modern man the Nazis are seen as truly evil, and history books show us that's the way that someone from the 1600's and 1700's would have viewed actual pirates. In three hundred years will the Nazis and their symbols be seen in a completely different perspective, and be considered little more than boogie men? Personally, I would hope not, but I also realize much of that is due to my emotions, perspective and opinion of those groups. Somehow I suspect that's close to how things may actually turn out.
So in the end, a symbol -whether Jolly Roger or swastika- seems to be very much in the eye of the beholder, and what his context and opinions are of that symbol. History shows us that the context and opinion are heavily influenced by many things, and may change completely with time.
An excellent point, and one well worth remembering.
One other thing comes up in regards to the pirate flag vs. a Nazi/SS flag (to continue with Shinobi's example), and that's historical perspective and current context. Three hundred years ago, the Jolly Roger in any of it's variations was seen no less than a symbol of evil than the Nazi's use of the swastika 65 years ago. To fly a pirate flag in a neighborhood back in that time period would have been unthinkable. In current times, the modern average view of pirates and the Jolly Roger is mainly influenced by movies that romanticizes how pirates are seen. One need look no further than the local cinemaplex this week to see that. At the best, pirates are seen as funny and dashing guys who swordfight with ghosts. At the worst, they might be seen as some sort of boogie man; unfriendly and not very nice, but nothing evil per se. (This seems to be the context of how the unnamed council in the UK has viewed the flag in question.)
In our technophile circles "pirates" and the Jolly Roger have taken on yet a different context even further removed from the historical truths. So much so that the we see no harm in it at all, to the point where this UK councils actions seem ridiculous.
Mention "pirates" and most people nowadays would probably think something along the lines of "swashbuckling adventure on the high seas." The wouldn't think of things like murder, grand larceny, rape or other cruelties, which is exactly the context that someone three hundred years ago would have look at it. Back then any situation with a pirate was, quite simply, kill or be killed.
To the modern man the Nazis are seen as truly evil, and history books show us that's the way that someone from the 1600's and 1700's would have viewed actual pirates. In three hundred years will the Nazis and their symbols be seen in a completely different perspective, and be considered little more than boogie men? Personally, I would hope not, but I also realize much of that is due to my emotions, perspective and opinion of those groups. Somehow I suspect that's close to how things may actually turn out.
So in the end, a symbol -whether Jolly Roger or swastika- seems to be very much in the eye of the beholder, and what his context and opinions are of that symbol. History shows us that the context and opinion are heavily influenced by many things, and may change completely with time.
Comment