What if they removed your flag?

What would happen if say China, Russia or India get to the moon and remove your flag to replace it with their own?

Would it kick start a possible new space race?

A kind of "Capture the flag" scenario from some computer games comes to mind

Would there be more serious repercussions from it though?
I would be disgusted if it happened.

Thoughts?

If a "Capture the Flag" contest broke out and it gave the U.S. a kick in the pants to start up the Space Race once again, then I'm all for it! Heaven knows we accomplished more in Space Exploration during those 18 years between 1957 and 1975 than we have in the 34 years since!

However, the placing of the flag is a symbolic gesture dating to Imperialistic times.

Pilgrim: "With this flag, I claim this land in the name of the King of England."
Annoyed Indian: "Ahem! Excuse me...but we were here first. This is our land!"
Pilgrim: "Oh sorry, I didn't see you there. Do you have a flag?"
Annoyed Indian: "Flag? We don't need no stinkin' flags!"
Pilgrim: "Well we have a flag and this land now belongs to England."
Annoyed Indian: "Fine, then don't come running to us when you run out of food when winter comes!"

Although there is still some kind of unwritten rule that a placed flag denotes ownership, just like getting somewhere first somehow denotes ownership (possession being 9/10ths of the law and all that sticky jazz), neither would hold up under International Law in regards to the moon.

Personally, I find it rather silly that temporal creatures such as humans would stake claim to lands that were here for billions of years before the advent of the human species and will continue to be here for billions of years after our species is extinct. But then again, Nationalism is just as silly as a notion to me as well.

Still, whatever excuse Americans need to get off their duffs and to start working on furthering Space Exploration is good enough for me, even if you have to use Nationalism and Imperialistic Flags to achieve that.

[edit on 18-7-2009 by fraterormus]

Do you guys watch the same tv show or read the same paper.

You missed out, its been done.

Sorry

www.abovetopsecret.com...

[edit on 18-7-2009 by pazcat]

The symbolic, ancient, and time honored practice of "dibs" would very much be in play.

It would wreck the morale of this nation.

IMHO

Originally posted by pazcat

You missed out, its been done.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Thanks pazcat. I didn't notice it was a duplicate thread. Seems to be a lot of duplicate threads going around lately. I counted 4 alone on the UK Swat Team breaking up a birthday party in Devon. I've cross-posted my reply on the previous thread you linked to.

I was just curious really, two threads in the one day without linking material. I was wondering what it was theat linked the OPs to the same story or it could of course be a coincedence.

reply to post by fraterormus



You forgot to mention the part where the americans offered the natives free blankets for beads.

Dont miss that part...

Small pox is a hell of a thing.

As for the moon.... I dont think russia or japan will ever get there.

Only the US will ever get there.

It was on film like JFK and 911 and we all saw it and can go back to the films. yeah the US rules! We can do anything. We can break the Van Allen radiation belts and no one else can WOOHOO. WE HIT THE MOON Hollywood rules I mean NASA rules!

It would probably annoy people more if they took down the flag just for the sake of it and didn't bother putting up their own...just because they can that would annoy the hell out of me more anyway.

[edit on 18-7-2009 by Solomons]

reply to post by LiveForever8


I don't give a crap about that. The moon? Whatever. It's just a flag. Now, if China or Russia or whoever comes to my little one acre Heathen Crest bit of property, and plants a flag there, I would be pissed. My little space of idylicness is important to me.