The Haka is probably the best pre-game ritual in sports. Better than any stupid thing we do here in the US except play the National Anthem.

You know, that's the one thing that irks me at a major game - the national anthem. At least your national anthem sounds ok. The New Zealand national anthem is usually played slowly and sounds like a funeral dirge. We're currently awaiting a referendum about whether or not we should change our nation's flag. Which is a real non-issue here, as 80% of the population have already said 'no' in so many different opinion polls. I think what they should really change is our national anthem. The government is spending an estimated NZ$27,000,000 to find out that the voters don't want the flag changed. Money best spent elsewhere I think.

It is things like this that make me think that a better use of half my taxes would be lighting it on fire. I understand that a lot of my tax money goes to important things like roads, bridges, soldiers, cops, firemen, teachers, etc... but then a lot of it also gets sent down a rat-hole. I guess governments are very similar around the world.

BTW: I think the NZ is fine. It does not seem inherently offensive like the hillbillys that drive around with the Stars and Bars.

One of the proposed designs is a red triangle under a blue and a black triangle. Some clown in parliament put four of these designs together and they formed a swastika. Like I said, a complete waste of time and money.

What's the perceived issue with the current flag?

The flag features the Union Jack of Britain. Some folks (a minority) think we shouldn't still be seen to be under a governing influence from half way round the world and some (also a minority) just think it's too similar to Australia. Unfortunately, it's our own prime minister that's pushing so hard for the change.

NZ (left) and Australia (right).

Leave it just the way it is, and save a bucket load of money.

Ah. I guess there's an argument to made for a nation wanting to distance itself from an imperialist progenitor, and I say that with full awareness of the irony it represents when coming from someone from the US. But on the other hand, I work for an ad agency and am painfully aware of the mount of money that goes into "rebranding" just about anything and how often the end result is that everybody just kind of liked it the way it was.

In any case, thanks for the education. I studied international relations at university and am still kind of a nerd about this sort of thing.

National anthems are a weird thing. In the Dutch anthem we proudly sing they are of German blood. Also we always sing we honour the King of Spain.
Mind you, only one part is used. The other 23 are never used. (and, I have learned, the 6th as well)
In Belgium they sing the national anthem in three languages and sing "for king, for freedom, and for justice" even though they don't really care about the king. The seperate anthem used by regional nationalists I am not going into, it might shut down the topic

National anthems are a weird thing. In the Dutch anthem they/we mangled the original lyrics, meaning many people now proudly sing they are of German blood. Also we always sing we honour the King of Spain, as that was a diplomatic addition in the 17th century.

Den koning van Hispanje heb ik altijd geëerd komt uit de originele tekst van 1568. .

Same as the German blood, he was after all born in Germany and you are singing as if you're him. There's a comma there, that's important. Wilhelmus van Nassauwe ben ik, van duitsen bloed.

And the 6th verse is also used, officially.

National anthems are a weird thing. In the Dutch anthem they/we mangled the original lyrics, meaning many people now proudly sing they are of German blood. Also we always sing we honour the King of Spain, as that was a diplomatic addition in the 17th century.

Den koning van Hispanje heb ik altijd geëerd komt uit de originele tekst van 1568. .

Same as the German blood, he was after all born in Germany and you are singing as if you're him. There's a comma there, that's important. Wilhelmus van Nassauwe ben ik, van duitsen bloed.

And the 6th verse is also used, officially.

I stand corrected!

*BOWS*

It shows I left to country to long ago