New Flag for Fiji?

[fumbler]

Fiji talks about dropping the Union Jack in favour of an un yet designed new flag.

http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=221561

http://www.smh.com.au/national/new-flag-for-fiji-to-show-renewal-20130102-2c5n2.html

Currently using this one.

[raysfan24]

Good. I hate flags that include the Union Jack. That includes your flag fumbler. I think all these flags would look a lot better without them.

[Mings]

Someone certainly is an Anglophobe.

[raysfan24]

Someone certainly is an Anglophobe.

No, I am not an Anglophobe. It just doesn't make sense on why they have to put their flag on other people's flags when they have absolutely no control over that country.

[Mac the Knife]

Yeah, the new regime there (there was a coup a while back) is intent on revamping everything.

[Gazzzaf]

Good. I hate flags that include the Union Jack. That includes your flag fumbler. I think all these flags would look a lot better without them.

Britain had a hand in founding a lot of nations, but many of these countries now have a long history under their own rule. Red/white/blue doesn't say Australia to me, or NZ/Fiji/etc... its a shame that so many flags look the same, especially in the Pacific with its unique art styles. Plus the union jack is too detailed to be placed in a canton, looks great on its own though.

[crashcarson15]

Someone certainly is an Anglophobe.

No, I am not an Anglophobe. It just doesn't make sense on why they have to put their flag on other people's flags when they have absolutely no control over that country.

To be technical, Queen Elizabeth II is the head of many of the aforementioned states. I don't necessarily disagree, but I don't hate them at all.

[lancealot]

Good. I hate flags that include the Union Jack. That includes your flag fumbler. I think all these flags would look a lot better without them.

Britain had a hand in founding a lot of nations, but many of these countries now have a long history under their own rule. Red/white/blue doesn't say Australia to me, or NZ/Fiji/etc... its a shame that so many flags look the same, especially in the Pacific with its unique art styles. Plus the union jack is too detailed to be placed in a canton, looks great on its own though.

Red white and blue definantly doesn't say australia, but when someone in the government brought up changing the flag a few years back the was a massive outcry from the public and the IDE was scrapped. Despite our hate for England we love out flag, I also pretty much guaranty that if we did get a new flag it wouldn't be green and gold as the rest of the world would suspect, it would be black red and yellow, the colours of the indigenous Australians flag.

[rams80]

Someone certainly is an Anglophobe.

No, I am not an Anglophobe. It just doesn't make sense on why they have to put their flag on other people's flags when they have absolutely no control over that country.

Because they're part of the Commonwealth of Nations? (albeit suspended because of the aforementioned coup)

[IceCap]

Someone certainly is an Anglophobe.

No, I am not an Anglophobe. It just doesn't make sense on why they have to put their flag on other people's flags when they have absolutely no control over that country.

To be technical, Queen Elizabeth II is the head of many of the aforementioned states. I don't necessarily disagree, but I don't hate them at all.

Here's the thing though. Queen Elizabeth II isn't the head of state of Fiji. Which is what makes their flag situation so unique. Fiji was, like Canada, Australia, and New Zealand (among others) a Commonwealth Realm, but the Queen abdicated the throne of Fiji following the 1987 coup. Fiji's been a republic, completely independent of the Crown, since then but they've kept the Union Jack on the flag. Very weird situation all around.

So changing the flag to remove the Union Jack would simply reflect a political change that occurred almost thirty years ago.

I also pretty much guaranty that if we did get a new flag it wouldn't be green and gold as the rest of the world would suspect, it would be black red and yellow, the colours of the indigenous Australians flag.

I always assumed any potential post-Union Jack Aussie flag would be blue and white, with maybe a touch of gold or red.

I know there was a proposal to simply replace the Union Jack would the indigenous flag, but the designer of the indigenous flag shot it down.

Someone certainly is an Anglophobe.

No, I am not an Anglophobe. It just doesn't make sense on why they have to put their flag on other people's flags when they have absolutely no control over that country.

Because they're part of the Commonwealth of Nations? (albeit suspended because of the aforementioned coup)

The Canadian Red Ensign was rather sharp looking....

[Davidson]

I reckon this little animation is particularly apt for this conversation:

And here is the link to the Ausflag website. Some interesting ideas for flags here: http://www.ausflag.com.au/

Never understand why Aussie and NZ vote to keep the Union Jack.

Good on Fiji for ditching it. Hope they go with something White and Black like their rugby team:

[raysox]

That animation is so cool.

But good on them. Are black and white their national colors? I think of New Zealand. I think some sort of light blue background with a plant or something from Fiji would be cool.

[Hathaway Browne]

That animation was well made.

What I don't get is, although I understand some Australians wanting to sever all ties with Britain, surely its going to take quite some time for a new flag to become as recognisable as the current flag?

As for Fiji, well that's a whole other ball game seeings as its military rule.

[Gazzzaf]

I also pretty much guaranty that if we did get a new flag it wouldn't be green and gold as the rest of the world would suspect, it would be black red and yellow, the colours of the indigenous Australians flag.

I always assumed any potential post-Union Jack Aussie flag would be blue and white, with maybe a touch of gold or red.

I know there was a proposal to simply replace the Union Jack would the indigenous flag, but the designer of the indigenous flag shot it down.

Nor should it be used to represent a nation. The aboriginal flag has the explicit purpose of representing the indigenous population. It would be just as exclusive of other people as the current flag. The medium lies with green and gold, which represents Australian flora, and widely considered to be our true national colours.

Have to say that the roo over the sun looks great though.

[crashcarson15]

Someone certainly is an Anglophobe.

No, I am not an Anglophobe. It just doesn't make sense on why they have to put their flag on other people's flags when they have absolutely no control over that country.

To be technical, Queen Elizabeth II is the head of many of the aforementioned states. I don't necessarily disagree, but I don't hate them at all.

Here's the thing though. Queen Elizabeth II isn't the head of state of Fiji. Which is what makes their flag situation so unique. Fiji was, like Canada, Australia, and New Zealand (among others) a Commonwealth Realm, but the Queen abdicated the throne of Fiji following the 1987 coup. Fiji's been a republic, completely independent of the Crown, since then but they've kept the Union Jack on the flag. Very weird situation all around.

So changing the flag to remove the Union Jack would simply reflect a political change that occurred almost thirty years ago.

Right, it was more of a comment in regards to Australia, New Zealand, and others that use the Union Jack -- should've specified that.

[IceCap]

I reckon this little animation is particularly apt for this conversation:

And here is the link to the Ausflag website. Some interesting ideas for flags here: http://www.ausflag.com.au/

Never understand why Aussie and NZ vote to keep the Union Jack.

Good on Fiji for ditching it. Hope they go with something White and Black like their rugby team:

Meh. The problem I have with the current Canadian flag is that it's rather....empty. Not in terms of design, obviously, but in terms of what it represents. What does it symbolize? Why the red bands? Why only one red leaf when the official emblem of Canada is supposed to be three red leaves on one stem?

Whatever the flaws the previous red ensign had, it represented something. The origin of Canada's governmental system, it's continued connection to the Commonwealth, the flag Canadian soldiers fought under for two world wars. The ensign represented something. The current flag looks fantastic, and I do have a sentimental attachment to it, but it looks like it was designed by committee. Which it was. It doesn't tell the story of the nation, something a flag should do. Which, objectively speaking makes it a poor flag.

That's what I feel when I see the Aussie flag proposals.

Some fantastic designs, but designing a national flag isn't the same as designing a sports logo.

[The_Admiral]

The current flag looks fantastic, and I do have a sentimental attachment to it, but it looks like it was designed by committee. Which it was. It doesn't tell the story of the nation, something a flag should do.

I dunno, "design by committee" seems pretty Canadian to me.

[lancealot]

I also pretty much guaranty that if we did get a new flag it wouldn't be green and gold as the rest of the world would suspect, it would be black red and yellow, the colours of the indigenous Australians flag.

I always assumed any potential post-Union Jack Aussie flag would be blue and white, with maybe a touch of gold or red.

I know there was a proposal to simply replace the Union Jack would the indigenous flag, but the designer of the indigenous flag shot it down.

Nor should it be used to represent a nation. The aboriginal flag has the explicit purpose of representing the indigenous population. It would be just as exclusive of other people as the current flag. The medium lies with green and gold, which represents Australian flora, and widely considered to be our true national colours.

Have to say that the roo over the sun looks great though.

I wouldn't like for the aboriginal flag to be our flag, nor would many people but if there was a flag re design I think it would be a derivative of that flag

[Gazzzaf]

The current flag looks fantastic, and I do have a sentimental attachment to it, but it looks like it was designed by committee. Which it was. It doesn't tell the story of the nation, something a flag should do.

I dunno, "design by committee" seems pretty Canadian to me.

Given that similar maple leaves are tacked to everything Canadian I'd say the flag does a good job of representing Canada, whether it tells a story or not.

[jr79]

Never understand why Aussie and NZ vote to keep the Union Jack.

What vote? We've never been given a vote or choice in the matter. There's never been a proposed flag that's got beyond the stage of some designer waving his concept around in the breeze and asking for attention.

And any Australian flag change should correctly feature the heraldic colours of blue and gold.