Editing 2175: Flag Interpretation
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
− | In many countries including the United States (whose flag is depicted in the comic), it is customary to lower the flag to {{w|half staff}} when important public figures die | + | {{incomplete|Created by an IMPORTANT CLONE. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}} |
+ | In many countries including the United States (whose flag is depicted in the comic), it is customary to lower the flag to {{w|half staff}} when important public figures die. In the US, regulations regarding flying the flag at half staff specify the length of time for the flag to be flown at half staff, and are based on the importance of the person who has died. There are no regulations where the flag would be flown at any height other than full height or half staff, and there are no regulations where multiple flags would be flown. | ||
The definition of half-staff, or half-mast, differs between countries and does not necessarily imply flying the flag at half the height of the pole or mast. For example, in the USA the flag is usually flown at half the height of the pole, whereas UK practice is to leave space for an 'invisible flag' above the flown flag, which may mean flying the flag near the top of the pole depending on its height. These differing practices contribute to confusion and ambiguity concerning the flag height, which is exploited in the comic. | The definition of half-staff, or half-mast, differs between countries and does not necessarily imply flying the flag at half the height of the pole or mast. For example, in the USA the flag is usually flown at half the height of the pole, whereas UK practice is to leave space for an 'invisible flag' above the flown flag, which may mean flying the flag near the top of the pole depending on its height. These differing practices contribute to confusion and ambiguity concerning the flag height, which is exploited in the comic. | ||
Randall, as usual, makes a humorous list of fictional additional traditions. | Randall, as usual, makes a humorous list of fictional additional traditions. | ||
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+ | Flying the US flag {{w|Distress_signal#Inverted_flags|upside down}} is widely considered a distress signal, and would not be intended to indicate an important figure has died. Since on average [https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/ someone dies every few seconds], it would indeed be extremely unlikely that no one would die for weeks in a row. Although not having anyone die seems good on the surface, it would trigger alarm about why this was happening; what mysterious force could possibly cause cessation of all deaths? And will it continue into the future, triggering an overpopulation crisis in short order? | ||
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+ | The second-to-last panel is a reference to the {{w|Trolley problem}}, a well-known thought experiment in ethics: An out-of-control trolley is running toward five people who are on the tracks. If you do nothing, these five will be killed. However, you can trigger a switch that will divert the trolley onto a side track, where there is one person who would be killed. Which is the more ethical option? | ||
The title text is a reference to ''{{w|The Persistence of Memory}}'' and other paintings and sculptures by {{w|Salvador Dalí}} which include watches and other objects that are melting. | The title text is a reference to ''{{w|The Persistence of Memory}}'' and other paintings and sculptures by {{w|Salvador Dalí}} which include watches and other objects that are melting. | ||
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|Flag at half mast | |Flag at half mast | ||
|Someone important died. | |Someone important died. | ||
− | |In the U.S., it is | + | |In the U.S., it is custom to lower the flag at half mast when somebody important died. |
|- | |- | ||
− | |Flag at three-quarter mast | + | |Flag at three-quarter mast. |
|Someone died but we're not sure how we feel about them. | |Someone died but we're not sure how we feel about them. | ||
− | | | + | |Randall seems to interpret a single full-mast flag as meaning "nobody important died". If so, 3/4 mast is a compromise between that and the half mast meaning; another way to interpret it might be to say "someone half-important died". |
− | |||
|- | |- | ||
− | |Flag at base of the mast | + | |Flag at base of the mast. |
|Everyone important died. | |Everyone important died. | ||
− | |Likewise, if the flag is lowered halfway when | + | |Likewise, if the flag is lowered halfway when one important person dies, lowering it twice as far implies that multiple important people have died. No intermediate positions are shown, so we can't be sure exactly how many. |
|- | |- | ||
− | |Two flags at full mast | + | |Two flags at full mast. |
|Someone important was successfully cloned. | |Someone important was successfully cloned. | ||
− | |Following the "flag for important people" rule, two flags would mean two (cloned) important people | + | |Following the "flag for important people" rule, two flags would mean two (cloned) important people |
|- | |- | ||
− | |Two flags at half mast | + | |Two flags at half mast. |
|An important person died battling their evil clone. | |An important person died battling their evil clone. | ||
− | |The concept of evil clone (or twin) is popular in fiction | + | |The concept of evil clone (or twin) is popular in fiction, in this case, two flags at half mast would mean that both clones died in the battle. |
|- | |- | ||
− | |Flag at half mast and upside-down | + | |Flag at half mast and upside-down. |
|Nobody has died for weeks and that seems good but statistically it's very alarming. | |Nobody has died for weeks and that seems good but statistically it's very alarming. | ||
− | | | + | |The fact that nobody died for weeks is an impressive statistic, since many deaths occur every day, it would have needed a big change in society for this happen |
− | |||
|- | |- | ||
− | |One normal-sized flag at half mast and five tiny flags at full mast | + | |One normal-sized flag at half mast and five tiny flags at full mast. |
|Someone diverted a trolley to save five people by killing one important person. | |Someone diverted a trolley to save five people by killing one important person. | ||
− | |This is a reference to the | + | |This is a reference to the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trolley_problem trolley problem.]. The small flags are for the non-important people. Since they are not important, their flag is smaller |
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|- | |- | ||
− | |No flag on the pole | + | |No flag on the pole. |
|The person who knows where the flag is stored at night died. | |The person who knows where the flag is stored at night died. | ||
− | | | + | |Nobody living knows where the flag is stored, and can't seem to locate it to put it on the flagpole. Presumably the flag-keeper died at night, or the flag could still be flying. Or it may have been stolen. |
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|} | |} | ||
==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
+ | {{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}} | ||
:[8 panels in 2 rows, 4 panels per row - each panel shows a flagpole in a different state of flying flag(s) with a caption at the bottom of the panel below the flagpole.] | :[8 panels in 2 rows, 4 panels per row - each panel shows a flagpole in a different state of flying flag(s) with a caption at the bottom of the panel below the flagpole.] | ||
:[The US flag at half mast.] | :[The US flag at half mast.] |