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.
Ruminations of the Purple Rhino 