no words: Flags

And as Paul Harvy would say "And now for the rest of the story". Very interesting story Jim. I can see why an editor would have held off on printing it.

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Thanks for the link, Jim Arnold. I can certainly understand your delight. Just goes to show: you never know where your next great shot will be found.<P>

 

Has anyone else noticed the more than passing resemblance to Tony Blair that the guy in the top photo has?

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<center><img src="http://www.photo.net/bboard/uploaded-file?bboard_upload_id=11903484"</center>

<center>Alphorn Festival Maennlichen 2002</center>

Brian: Nice photograph!

Jim, both the shot of the flag in the barn and the Nazi flag are very good. I especially like the Nazi one, because it seems that the kids are totally unaware of the meaning of the flag - for them it's just a cool flag their grandad brought back from the war. It's always nice to see this kind of nuance. As so often, a picture isn't worth a thousand words.

 

As a story-telling picture, the flag-in-window picture seems stronger to me.

BTW - I always thought I'd never understand why people like to wrap themselves in flags like in Morgan's picture, but I find myself wearing a keffiyeh these days ;-)

Rob, I like it that you wear a keffieh these days. As for me, I alternate between a keffieh and a

kippa. ;-)

 

As for the kids not knowing the meaning of their flag, I think it's frightening, because it means no

one explained it to them, as if didn't matter. I don't think a knowing and responsible adult would

leave such a horrible symbol laying around for ignorant children to play with, and stand proudly

in front of. Innocence cannot be claimed here.

Nicely said, Vic. Regards-

Jim Arnold....I very much enjoyed your web site. The pictures of the "Tabak and Flowers" and the "Blind Women" are superb.

Jim Arnold, I enjoyed your webside too, I like the way your are making pictures. Back to the nazi-flag: this picture doesn`t speak for itself, it needs a comment like the one you gave on your webside. Pictures nearly never tell us a story, they only remind us at something and it is our fantasy that is going on. My association goes back in the past of my own family: my father was missed in action in the 2.ww. And we have still enough of old and new nazis here in leicaland. BTW it is forbidden here to show the old nazisigns, and I think it to be good. And still one question: what would all the others have said, if the author of the picture were a German? Friendly greeting Peter

Hello,

 

Many nice pictures. Rob Appleby's comments about the Kids/flag are right on the money.

 

My state used to be the home for the Aryan Nation. Rev. Richard Butler was/is their guru. Sad people try to cloak respectability by proclaiming to be a man of God/Allah etc.

 

Anyway, Morris Dees brought suit against the Aryan Nations. A couple members committed murder at behest of Butler. The subsequent civil suit bankrupted the Aryan Nations and now the 20 acre compound is just another N. Idaho farm like it should be.

 

In their prime, the Aryan Nation compound was red meat for the press. Lots of posed pictures of kids in front of Nazi Flags. Also the usual Hoods, burning crosses, tattoo's, bad teeth, obesity, scraggly hair, filth, foul language, and all the other signs of the purity, wonder, and greatness of the white race. What a joke!

 

I'll bet Rob is right on the money. People of the rural south can be very patriotic and proud of their military contributions. The capture of the enemy flag likely had great meaning to that family. Being proud of grandpappy or daddy is as American as apple pie. Not having to live under the "rules" of the Nazi's, they are likely oblivious to the political/societal impact the flag has to europeans.

 

Anyways, great pictures. I really liked them. All of them.

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I agree that Rob's comments were on the money. The kids are most likely unaware of the political import of the flag. In fact, they might very well be aware that it's a trophy of victory past. Most kids are smarter than most adults remember them to be. <P>

 

Nonetheless, social currents of fascism <I>are</I>, as vic pointed out, part of "Americana" - that should be obvious today, if it wasn't before. Here, just as elsewhere, you have the fascism of the unwashed, lumpen variety, with its overt anti-semitism, anti-catholicism, anti-what-have-you; and you have, also, the fascism that dare not speak its name, and keeps its various "anti's" (somewhat) hidden behind a gilded smile and a smart suit. For now, anyway.<P>

 

Peter - Some people are convinced, as I'm sure you know, that all Germans are in their hearts Nazis; but thinking people know that such vile, authoritarian, people-disdaining ideology knows no single nationality. I think if a German had taken this obviously striking image, those same thinking people would say what we've already said: good shot!

Which is not to say that "social currents of fascism" are all of "Americana" - far from it! But they do, unfortunately, exist here - as most everyone knows.

Doug, it`s good to read you, thanks. Peter

An interesting point with this discussion. Does the ethnicity,race, religion, or such give a photograph a different meaning? Reminds me of a collection of woman photographers at the National Womens Museum that I viewed for a History of Photography class.

 

There was an image of a Barbie doll on a "beach" of french fries. Some male students did not see what the phtograph was about. That sparked a discussion about perceptions of the photographer vs. the viewer. There was another image in the show that showed a sparse room with two chairs seperated by a window. Most took it to be a statement about the speration of men and women, since the photographer was female. But when we were forced to relook at as if a male had taken the image the perception changed. For many it became on image of isolation, dperession, or despair.

 

Would images from the lynchings in the South have a different feeling or meaning if a black photographer had taken the image?