The love of the flag – VG

A pin in the suit with the Norwegian flag is used well in conjunction with a pin symbolizing the UN’s sustainability goals. The debate of the past few weeks about pins and flags is burning under currents like divisions, at a time when we need to be more united than ever.

Several ministers have appeared in recent weeks at the government’s daily press conference with the UN pin. They have been criticized, especially by Frp-ers and others on the right, who have responded to the use of a pin with the Norwegian flag.

IMF and World Bank

I love my country and I am concerned about the world out there. There is no contradiction in wanting a strong and prosperous Norway, and encouraging a better and more coordinated world. Conversely.

Binding international cooperation rests on strong national states. Think about the time after World War II. Victorious forces built the UN and other international organizations. Towards the end of the war, the United States and its allies met at Bretton Woods and negotiated monetary cooperation that provided stability and predictability in world trade for decades. This was also the basis for the establishment of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

All of this laid the foundations for the economic growth that characterized the post-war period in much of the world. Never before in history have so many people experienced an increase in wealth and a more equitable distribution of growth.

Self-confident country

It was the countries with self-confidence that built the international world order that until now has dominated. Strong nation states, with the United States leading the way. American leaders knew that to safeguard the interests of the United States, they also had to provide a more secure and stable world. One was impossible without the other.

In Europe, the EC, which later became the European Union, formed the European Union. Politicians did this in recognition of the fact that economically linked countries do not go to war against each other.

Now we see that the old world order is crumbling. Among other things, only the United States. President Donald Trump cultivates narrow nationalism that tries to put the United States first, and the rest of the world far behind. It is not in line with American foreign policy, or with American values ​​as we know them.

Mark as a political symbol

At the same time, we see that differences are increasing in the western world. The benefits of economic growth are unevenly distributed. It creates riots, and in many places it promotes a dark form of nationalism. These are forces that we have seen before, with disastrous consequences.

A key question is how we see nationalism, and not least if we allow some communities to have a monopoly on expressing that they are happy in Norway. In other words, if those who are eager for Norway to actively participate in binding international cooperation eventually feel that the flag and other national symbols no longer belong to them. That the flag will mean isolation and that we will block what we believe to be foreign and different.

If that happens, we have lost a lot. I don’t think we are in danger of turning our own flag into a politically charged symbol. But the danger lies there. In our closest neighboring country, Sweden, this was a real problem for a time. The far right actively used the flag, and many Swedes felt that the flag did not belong to them.

Different from sweden

Today we see that Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven has pins with the Swedish flag on his jacket when he meets the press to report on the crown. In the background, the great Swedish flag flies. It is an interesting illustration of how the Swedes managed to capture this national symbol.

Norway is different from Sweden. Our flag has never been controversial. There has always been joint ownership, raised on many occasions. Both for a party and when seriousness hits us. We celebrate our National Day with great joy and sing aloud about the love of the flag and the homeland.

Norwegian national sentiment was important in Norway’s fight for independence and freedom. Defiant Norwegians rose to power. We wrote our own constitution in 1814, while the great powers divided the spoils of war and for a moment forgot to keep an eye on Norway. We separated from Sweden in 1905. And we celebrated the liberation of the German occupation in May 75 years ago. With waving Norwegian flags.

Generosity and security

It is introverted nationalism that has made us twice, unfortunately, have said no to Norwegian membership in the EU. With that, we said no to join a larger community. We must have given up some of the national self-sufficiency laws in exchange for influencing the development of our own continent.

We see it in all kinds of binding conditions. Both in politics and in life. Collaboration is about giving and receiving. And to meet others with generosity and trust, you must trust yourself. You need to know who he is and what he stands for.

If we are proud of what we have achieved and humble with the lives and experiences of others. If we see a Norway that is open to different points of view and different life options, a Norway where we are more concerned with who you are than where you come from. Then, as a small country in a large world, we can move more easily, with confidence.

Not fond of pins

Precisely at a time like this, with the crown and an economic crisis that can hit us as hard as during the depression in the 1930s, it is crucial that we do not cultivate artificial contradictions. That the flag, which plays such a central role in Norwegian society, does not become a contention issue and a marker of identity.

In a political climate that is in danger of becoming more divisive, symbols mean a lot. I have never been particularly fond of pins. But if I meet someone who has the Norwegian flag along with the symbol of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, I take it upon myself. And if the pin also has the EU flag, then I have to go with it. Long.