Yes, that's what I mean. Pledging allegiance to a flag is dangerous (remember the roman legionaries swore allegiance to their standard, not to the republic, and took the sides of their generals in civil wars). Perhaps to you, steeped in it, it doesn't look like a prayer, but to an outsider it appears little different from a religious invocation.
These differences my seem subtle or even trivial, but history has shown that it is dangerous.
Note that in the US soldiers and other holders of the public trust swear to uphold the country's constitution, not its flag.
It all comes down to the order of primacy: the country, constitution, civil institutions, chain of command etc are all in service to the support of the citizenry not the other way around.
These differences my seem subtle or even trivial, but history has shown that it is dangerous.
Note that in the US soldiers and other holders of the public trust swear to uphold the country's constitution, not its flag.
It all comes down to the order of primacy: the country, constitution, civil institutions, chain of command etc are all in service to the support of the citizenry not the other way around.