Flag of the American Union

Continental Super-Federations are the trend right now.  The European Union, the East Africa Federation (which may supersede the corrupt and ineffective African Union), the proposed Union State in the former Soviet realm, and the Union of South American States; each has the potential to become a new super-power.  Even the British Commonwealth may gain some oomph and become a Third British Empire, if the U.K. leaves the E.U.  Perhaps, in the future, the United States will have to joinwith other nations and form either a North American Union [Canada, U.S., Mexico] or, even better, an American Union that includes Central America and the Caribbean and the Cis-Amazonian nations.

And, of course, ever Continental Super-Federation ought to have a flag.  First, let’s look at the flags of the CSFs mentioned above.

The European Union flag is simple and elegant with it’s 12 stars representing not individual members as in the U.S. flag, but rather the idea of union.  The designer chose 12 stars based upon the Christian imagery of the woman crowned in stars from the Book of Revelation and from Marian iconography.  It also is linked to the idea of 12 gods in the Pantheon; the 12 signs of the Zodiac; the 12 disciples of Jesus, and the 12 hours of a clock face.

The EU Flag

The East Africa Federation has yet to come into existence, and African super-states have a poor track record.  The African Union is a near toothless failure that is divided between the Arab and Islamic north, the Black west and middle, the Ethiopian and Somalian east, and the European and Xhosian south.  But, on paper, it looks like it might have a good chance as it has Kenya as its keystone and, with the memory of the Rwanda mass-madness and genocide still fresh, there is a strong motivation to create an entity that can finally transcend the tribal warfare that has help to cripple Africa.

The East African Community flag

Russian neo-tsar Vladimir Putin has called for the creation of an Eurasian Union, modeled after and as an alternative to the European Union.  But Russia is already part of a super-state with Belarus – the Union State.  Both the Union State and the Eurasian Union are barely veiled proposals to recreate the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, but without the Soviet and Socialist parts.  So it’s only fitting that the Union State flag is uses the old Soviet crimson and gold.

The Union State flag.

The Union of South American Nations is the successor to the Mercosur community.  Formed to create a European-style common market and passport free zone, the USAN may grow as the modern leftists governments of South America coordinate their efforts to bring the continent into the 21st century and to shake off two centuries of American hegemony.

The Union of South American Nations

Not sure why it looks like a hurricane, but still, it’s simple and iconic.

The British Commonwealth could become a new super-power if the U.K. left the EU and focused on bring forth a Third British Empire.  And, if the U.K. followed a federalist model and allowed the Commonwealth to have devolved parliaments for the local government and a a super-parliament for the whole, it would fulfill the dream of Imperial Federation that might have kept Ireland in Britain.  But World War I ended the Imperial Federation movement.  Still, better late than never, ‘ey?

The Commonwealth of Nations flag.

Below is my proposal for an American Union flag.

The five stripes to represent colors from the flags of its member states:   the red of Canada and the British Caribbean, the blue of the U.S., the green of Mexico, the light blue of Central America and the Caribbean, and the gold of the Cis-Amazon/Nueva Granada republics.  These are on a white background to represent peace, hope, and unity.

It began with a toddler’s death.

Is this where China’s revolution begins?

With the death of a child my daughter’s age?

Her name is "Yue Yue".

This what she looked like before.

Here’s her story.

So she wanders away from her father’s business into the busy and crowded alleyway behind it where she is hit by a vehicle not once, but twice, and ignored by a dozen-plus passer-bys.  Finally, one of the poorest-of-the-poor, a 58-year old scavenger woman, drags Yue Yue to safety.

But it wasn’t enough.

China has had a number of blows to the public confidence in recent months.  A number of fatal infrastructure incidents, including but not limited to: a major high-rise fire that left scores of dead, a high-speed rail disaster, and a couple of major highway disasters.  A continuing spate of  low level crises such as propane bus fires that kill and maim dozens at a time, coal mine tragedies, self-immolation protests, and so forth further erode public confidence in the current Chinese system.

America also suffers, and has for a long while, near continuing crises of confidence; but our society is more resilient because of democracy and liberty.  Regular, free elections; the freedoms of assembly, petition, and speech;  a free media [currently in the form of the internet]:  These act as a pressure relief valve for revolutionary pressures.

The Arab World didn’t have these things and this young man’s death sparked the Arab Spring which, though not resolved and still playing out, led at least to the fall of the mad dictator who was Enemy Number One of America for so long.

Perhaps we are to witness the Chinese Autumn?  I fear such a revolution will lead to terrible reprisal by the Communist Dynasty.  There is also the possibility that such a revolution, even if successful could result in something much, much worse such as Islamicists getting nukes or a general war with China.  I can only pray that any revolution in China is successful in transitioning to democracy and liberty.

I also pray for Yue Yue and her family and wonder, would I want my child to die to bring transformation to the world?

9/11 Thoughts in the Age of the Arab Blossoming.

Can’t really call it the Arab Spring anymore; it’s been going on too long.  We’re in autumn at the time of this writing.

And your revolution shall frangrant up our stank for a good long while.

Listening to this as I write.

Reading this made me think.   [Link won’t work.  You’ll have to cut and paste.  Sorry about that.]

http://news.yahoo.com/astronaut-in-space-during-attacks-shares-unique-footage-of-9-11.html

What does that image look like to you?

To me, it looks like Ghost Rider mixed with Wolverine and may a hint of Lobo.  Hey, let’s start a new comic book called All-American Anti-Heroes.

Imagine being that poor American astronaut, seeing his homeland being attacked, not knowing how it would escalate.  What if it involved suitcase nukes?

Did anyone besides me ever read any of these?

You know those bastards hate us that much.  They’d blow up the world to prove that their god was stronger than ours.

If the Muslims would behave themselves, we wouldn’t have to be over there but no, their republican demagouges are taking it down to the last bullet and their divine monarchs, like the Sauds, are a bunch of spoiled cowards who brutally beat down the slightest whiff of the Arab Spring flower.

So, what do you do on that day when those type get nukes?  When the Revolution comes to Iran, we better pray they don’t have nukes.  Or we might see a death spasm of the old Arab world that wipes us all out.

Me, I’d probably crap myself and, if I were the leader of the Free World (God forbid),  begin an overwhelming response that would entail wiping all of them from the face of the earth and make it so that their names would be used as a boogeyman for children.  [Good thing I’ll never be President one day, ‘ey? ]

Oh, and I’d divide your lands amongst the rest of the world.  Russia would get Turkey, Kazakhstan, and Iran; China:  Afghanistan, and a couple of the ‘stans;  so on and so forth.  All the other world players would get a piece equal to how much they contributed to the war effort in blood and/or treasure.

Still, I’d rather live in peace and not give up on you, oh Sons of Adam, oh Daughters of Eve.

But, if you cannot reign in your radicals, we will need to unleash ours.  And they will gleefully destroy you, while I and those of similar thought would deeply regret having to do it.  Sort like killing Old Yeller.

So, please, for all that is holy and good, we both must keep our radicals on a short leash, but through democracy, liberty, and justice.