Will the American Flag Change? Probably.

Seward’s Folly— the purchase of Alaska from Russia— became, in time, Seward’s Great Idea. Sixty years ago, our flag changed as we added Alaska as a state. 

So, let’s give President Trump’s idea the benefit of the doubt: We will annex or purchase Greenland. 

That will leave us with two large territories without statehood (Puerto Rico and Greenland), separated by ocean waters. They will point out that the American Revolution was founded on the idea of no taxation without representation. Bowing to this withering hypocrisy, we will admit two states, one with white people and one with brown people, to our nation. Our flag will change.

So, you think that’s unlikely. I agree. But can we agree that we live in an age of identity politics? Maybe.

Let’s consider another scenario. Few, if any, leftist groups have a flag. Many white nationalist groups do have a flag. 

I have put the flag of Three Percent, a white identity, guns rights group at the top. 

They believe that America was founded when three percent of the colonists took up arms and carried the fight to the British. 

If we assume that the current existential culture war between liberals and conservatives ends with a decisive victory by white nationalists, we might visualize a version of Three Percent as the new flag.

As someone who increasingly views the American flag as a symbol of unity exploited to sow deep divisions in America, I now feel uncomfortable with our flag unless it is displayed ceremonially or at a sporting event, where the idea of unity is the point of showing the flag. If people with my values ultimately win out in this divisive climate, perhaps the flag will look different.

Until a few days ago, I never thought our flag would change. I have revised my thinking.