Well I guess you’ve heard about the controversy. Big Day Out promoters yesterday were asking fans not to bring Aussie flags to the event, to combat, well boganism. Everybody gave a bit of a serve to the BDO - to some extent justifiably so.

Firstly, I am biased as hell. Because for one, I am not about to give Americans heaps of crap for their stars and stripes regalia and then be a hypocrite waving the Southern Cross. The best celebration of patriotism are the quiet ones. Why should you have to wave a flag to prove your love? What if you don’t care so much about the flag, but more what makes us different as people first, then a nation? And you betcha I hate it when people hide behind unAustralian. So if I was told I couldn’t bring a flag, well that’s another hand I can carry beer with. And it doesn’t bring everyone else down with their populist, macho, jingoistic bullshit!

Secondly the lame part of the argument. BDO is about beer, ecstacy, speed, mates, moshing, pashing, pushing, groping, shagging, techno, metal, rock, exhaustion, cracked ribs, crowd surfing, injuries and the occasional punch on. The promoters have to turn a blind eye to everything but the punch ons or the crowds won’t come.  So they need to pay for police attendance, security and insurance for the event. So in lieu of a few hundred bogans on speed looking for a big arsed punch on with a bunch of drugged out emo kids, I say anything that doesn’t evoke racially motivated violence is a good thing. But my viewpoint on flags (in general, not just the Oz flag) makes it easier for me nonetheless.

Frankly I couldn’t think of any better way to celebrate the history of this country by just doing what you love. I for one don’t think that those that fought and died in the great wars (or those that refos that plain risked everything to get here) would want it any other way. I certainly don’t think they’d want us fighting each other to prove our love for a nation. And when the NSW Premier says ‘just kick out the trouble makers’, well what are you going to take away the sniffer dogs and add extra police FOR FREE to deal with the punch on ready bogans you’re defending? If it’s at a state event fine. But at a paid private festival, blow it out your arse! You didn’t even offer any extra police!

There’s no better way to pay tribute to your freedom. But punching the crap out of people because they won’t kiss your flag is what you’d expect Russian nazis to do to Chechnian refugees or some other Eastern Bloc country. A Macedonian mate of mine always used to joke that in 500 years, Aussies will be fighting each other like Macos and Greeks do now. Like time just never heals wounds. It scares me that some are trying to speed up this process.

Now the meaty stuff. Did anyone else notice that second in the news was one of the biggest cabinet reshuffles in Federal parliament Howard has ever done? What convenient timing! Bring up some ‘You have to agree with us, it’s unAustralian not to‘ bullshit and everyone’s too pent up and angry to ask who’s still around and what political alliances are being formed, and god only knows what else.

Now the big Kahuna. It won’t matter a flying fuck if we have the right to take our flag anywhere. Why? Because AUSTRALIA HAS NO CONSTITUTIONALLY PROTECTED RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF SPEECH. IT WOULDN’T REALLY MATTER WHAT LAW THEY MADE UP. So why not get to the heart of the issue and have a referendum to change the constitution. Then flags are protected under the freedom of speech addendum in the constituion. But geez, I hate it when people carry on about petty stuff and not with the real issue. Not to mention the fact that Australians’ are loosing their rights to freedom of speech, sorry liberties, dramatically over the past 3 years - either at state or federal level.

Fact of the matter is, I think my Macedonian mate was right. Give it time and Sydneyites will be throwing Molotov cocktails at Melbournites. And one thing that’s always true. You can’t trust Howard as far as you can throw him. Oops the thought police are here! 1984!!!