Lowering the standard

I hear with interest the news of the formation of a new radical leftist political party, the Victorian Socialists. They are planning to contest the state election, which will be held in November. Among other things, they want to replace the Victorian state flag with the Eureka flag, because they claim that it is outdated, and does not reflect modern Victoria. It was first used at the famous Eureka Stockade in 1854 at Ballarat, and since then has been used as a symbol of protest and democracy, and by the Labor movement.

Given that Socialists claim to oppose racism, I can't help but wonder if they are aware of the Eureka flag's association with racism. It started with the racism that Chinese miners experienced on the Victorian goldfields. This association has been continued by the flag's usage by various Australian white supremacist groups.

It seems to me that this is a pointless and counterproductive campaign. If it succeeded, it would merely replace a flag that offends some people with one that offends even more, and is not actually any more of a unifying symbol to everyday Victorians than the present flag. This sort of posturing plays well with the Socialists' support base in inner suburban Melbourne, but I dare say it is unlikely to get much traction with voters in urban growth corridors, or regional areas. 

Public Domain, Link