Some significant fraction of the cars in the States have (generally Chinese-made) flags fluttering on them. And since, well, stuff happens, some of these have broken and now you see flags on the ground by the side of the road. This is twisted because the flag is never supposed to touch the ground, etc., but we'll see lots of that as the cheap plastic flags disintegrate. [That wasn't a metaphor but it could be....] In fact you're supposed to burn weathered flags ---and of course, folks' reaction to burning the flag *prematurely* is how you distinguish freedom (eg of expression) lovers from poseurs. .... Curiouser and curiouser Down the rabbit hole Rabbits don't carry anthrax, do they?