I’ve got a couple blades that need to be quenched and tempered.
Usually I light it by placing a piece of paper towel in, lighting that, then turning the propane on low and ramping it up. In this case I left the pressure up and just turned the ball valve. Instant drama!
In United Fascist States of America an action like this will become illegal and punishable by inprisonment.
Charly@#1:
In United Fascist States of America an action like this will become illegal and punishable by inprisonment.
That’s why I did it.
There have been a number of attempts to make it illegal, all of which have foundered on constitutional grounds. That may change, of course – it’d be sad to see all the rednecks in america wringing their hands about the 2nd amendment while wiping their asses with the 1st. “Freeze Peach” does not just respect the rights of people to post misogynist shit on youtube, after all.
If we can’t burn flags, there will be plenty of bibles and copies of the constitution about.
You mean it isn’t, yet? Though I may be confusing present day US with Futurama Earth.
At any rate, your showtrial and execution notwithstanding, Marcus, I think you may have stumbled on the next great marketing thing: Made with America. (TM) (R) (C) (Pat. pend.) (TWBS)
Products made with America are much more patriotic but, unlike “Made in America”, can still be made cheaply overseas.
komarov@#3:
Made with America. (TM) (R) (C) (Pat. pend.) (TWBS)
Every blade I make has at least a bit of my blood on/in it. Not deliberately, mind you.
In Latvia it is illegal to desecrate the national flag. Two years ago a friend of mine and I decided to found an association that would promote liberty. Our goals were to include decriminalizing flag desecration. The Latvian Register of Associations refused to register our new association, so we sued them. The first court ruling was in our favor, but the Register of Associations appealed. The second court ruling was in their favor, the court decided that in should indeed be illegal to found an association that would publicly propose and defend legalizing flag desecration. Yesterday my friend submitted our appeal.
The latest court ruling states that it is not only illegal for a citizen to burn the Latvian flag, it is also illegal for a citizen to publicly propose that flag burning ought to be legalized. The court ruling was a really annoying reading material (it just made no sense), but the argument was that legalizing flag desecration would threaten national security. Don’t ask me how that is supposed to happen. Today we legalize flag desecration, and tomorrow Russian tanks will drive over Latvian border? Yeah right, that sure makes sense. There was also an argument that the flag is a national symbol, and thus one is obliged to respect it. But what if I do not respect the country itself? Apparently, feeling no respect towards my shitty country is also not allowed.
Andreas Avester@#5:
it is also illegal for a citizen to publicly propose that flag burning ought to be legalized
When someone says something is “Orwellian” that’s what they are talking about. Next up is they’ll make it a thought-crime: illegal to even think about burning the flag.
Apparently, feeling no respect towards my shitty country is also not allowed.
In the US that’s probably “sedition” and may be illegal.
My main regret about this video was that I didn’t have a copy of the constitution to light the flag with, so I used my starter-torch.
My browser doesn’t show videos, so I’m just guessing from the comments that you used a USA flag (cloth? paper?) as kindling.
Anyway, I’ve never understood this notion that “burning the flag” is a sign of disrespect. Back when I was a Boy Scout (USA), in the 1960’s, I was taught that the only respectful thing to do with a soiled or damaged flag was to burn it, presumably because the obvious alternative — to put it in the trash — were considered disrespectful.
If anything, I think that burning the USA flag as a political statement is showing it respect. Especially if one is burning it as a way of expressing how the ideals for which it stands have been soiled by disgraceful actions. Even if you hate the ideals for which it (supposedly) stands, burning it is granting those ideals a certain level of respect.
Unfortunately, those ideals (as I see them, anyway) are being treated by large segments of the USA population, and especially by those in power, with a level of contempt and dismissal that would be best symbolized by using USA flags as toilet paper.
I’ve long fantasized about a flag-burning in which a large USA flag that was torn and had burned spots and large brown stains and bloodstains was burned up in a ritual of purification, symbolizing the need to purify our nation of corruption and dishonor. (Okay, I admit, I’m old-fashioned. To me, the word dishonor is a very strong word of condemnation that well describes all of the actions of those currently in power and their supporters and enablers.)
In Latvia the law says that you get rid of an old flag by taking scissors and cutting it into pieces. Only when each stripe of the flag is turned into a piece of fabric of a separate color, then you are allowed to throw the pieces in separate garbage bins.
@ 5 Andreas Avester
Today we legalize flag desecration, and tomorrow Russian tanks will drive over Latvian border?
Given recent history, I would be more worried about the USA sponsoring a right-wing coup d’état.
Re: Andreas Avester (#5):
Gods forbid the strips randomly realign into a flag pattern and bring the soviets back. You simply cannot be too careful with these things. I’d sigh but fear my lungs would burst.
Re: Marcus (#4):
I’m sure our products have plenty of blood in them already, so that’s probably not as marketable as having sweatshop-made patriotism (100% polyester) baked into every item. At least that’s tacky, and tacky sells. Why else print the holy red white and blue pattern on virtually everything?
komarov @#10
Yep, properly getting rid of an old flag is serious business here. There are online tutorials on how to do it, for example https://www.latvijastekstils.lv/blogs/news/19157795-karoga-pareiza-utilizesana this one. Here it’s heavily emphasized that each flag piece must be put in a different trash can. There exists even a law dictating that old flags must be disposed of discreetly. I also remember reading numerous news articles about how every now and then somebody finds a whole flag in a trash container and how that’s atrocious and newsworthy. I also remember forum threads where upset patriots were trying to figure out what to do with all their old flags: “I have four old flags in my closet. I don’t want to throw them out, but they are taking up too much space. Help! What should I do?” Common replies being: “Keep storing them anyway, your kids will appreciate them.” I’m not even exaggerating this one, I really found such an online forum.
Patriots are weird. If they want to fetishize their pieces of fabric, they are welcome to do so, but I’m immensely annoyed that they also try to force the rest of the society (including me) to participate in this nonsense and worship their silly fetish.
Careful, there’s toxic fumes from that thing.
I’m with Lofty, I hope you didn’t breath in any of the fumes ;-)
@Lofty – it smelled horrible so I opened the windows and maxed the fan. It was ashes pretty quickly; it completely vanished. Fitting.
Made me think of this: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/sinclair-lewis-on-fascism/
How Dare You!
Do you know the fumes polyester or polypropylene emit when burned??!!?!?! https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1475268/
(It seems that plain cotton is actually the worst.)
fusilier, who, like many earlier posters, disposed of worn-out flags by burning. We (Boy Scouts) held an annual ceremony, Way Back When.
James 2:24
Off topic can I draw your attention to this?
https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/games/2019/jul/04/how-a-video-game-community-filled-my-nephews-final-days-with-happiness-elite-dangerous