“People Who Enjoy Waving Flags Don’t Deserve To Have One” appeared as a series of works, rumoured to consist of three St. George’s Crosses, produced in 2003. The concept also saw the release of a Union Jack flag too. The work is an English flag (or Union Jack in other editions) with the slogan “People Who Enjoy Waving Flags Don’t Deserve To Have One” spray painted directly onto the flag. Out of the three in the series, only one is tagged.

The quote is a reference to being blinded by obsession and, in this case, Banksy makes reference to overzealous patriotic types who are blinded by their own nationalism. This love of government or country causes division and stokes up hatred at some level. What’s more, the use of the St. George’s flag recalls the rise of the far-right National Front party that rose in popularity in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s.

In this work nationalism is starkly and even crudely presented. The brutalist slogan overlaid onto a cheap flag that is both humorous and shocking. Beneath the simple expression lies a great depth that makes us question nationalism and the effects it has on our society.

In essence, a flag ought to be waved and ought to exist to remind us as a society of our shared values and sacrifices. It should never be displayed to the detriment of others and to their exclusion. However, the insular nature of nationalism causes this to occur at the detriment to a cohesive, united and fair society or world.