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 only 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. | ||
− | + | Randall, as usual, makes a humorous list of fictional additional traditions. | |
+ | |||
+ | 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? | ||
− | + | 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 on the tracks 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. | ||
− | + | ==Table== | |
{| border =1 width=100% cellpadding=5 class="wikitable" | {| border =1 width=100% cellpadding=5 class="wikitable" | ||
! Flag Position !! Randall's Interpretation || Explanation | ! Flag Position !! Randall's Interpretation || Explanation | ||
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|Flag at half mast | |Flag at half mast | ||
|Someone important died. | |Someone 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. | ||
− | | | + | | |
− | |||
|- | |- | ||
− | |Flag at base of the mast | + | |Flag at base of the mast. |
|Everyone important died. | |Everyone important died. | ||
− | | | + | | |
|- | |- | ||
− | |Two flags at full mast | + | |Two flags at full mast. |
|Someone important was successfully cloned. | |Someone important was successfully cloned. | ||
− | | | + | | |
|- | |- | ||
− | |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. | ||
− | | | + | | |
|- | |- | ||
− | |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. | ||
− | | | + | | |
− | |||
|- | |- | ||
− | |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. | ||
− | | | + | | |
− | |||
|- | |- | ||
− | |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. | ||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
|} | |} | ||
==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.] |