A Labour minister has sparked controversy by claiming that an alternative symbol is needed for the Red Cross because of the logo’s supposed links to the Crusades.
Foreign Office minister Chris Bryant said that the historic emblem risked undermining the work of the humanitarian organisation.
His intervention came as MPs debated the adoption of the ‘red crystal’ – a diamond-shaped badge – to avoid the religious connotations of the cross and crescent symbols currently used by the international body.
I just don’t think that this is going to work. Everyone understands, one would hope, how evil blood diamonds are. Further, the word “crystal,” at least in some Western languages, is too close to “christal”. Certainly too close to Kristol.
How about a triangle? Too trinitarian? Okay, the Red Pentagon would . . . shoot. How about if you intersect two equilateral triangles and . . . bad idea. Nevermind. Red shoes? No.
How about images from nature, like a red sun on a white background? Damn, already been done. Um . . . red tree? No, Christ was hanged on one of those, in the old parlance. Red hand? No. Scarlet letter is out. Problem with which alphabet, anyway. Caduceus seems too Occidental . . .
How about a big red asterisk? Red target with an X through it? What do you think?
Comment by Muledriver on 6/12 @ 6:49 am #
Not sure about the Red Cross flag but, speaking of red, maybe Britain can put a baboon’s ass on theirs.
Comment by apotheosis on 6/12 @ 6:51 am #
The asterisk has been co-opted by Wal-Mart. So it’s a symbol of rampant consumerism, or something.
Comment by LTC John on 6/12 @ 6:53 am #
Guess that means the Red Crescent will have to stand down in Minister Bryant’s Britain, too, right?
Comment by apotheosis on 6/12 @ 6:53 am #
How about a big red star? That’s a symbol the left can get behind.
Comment by guinsPen on 6/12 @ 6:53 am #
Anything but Red Wing.
Comment by Bob Reed on 6/12 @ 7:01 am #
According to Evan Thomas, a version of the Obama campaign symbol would be just dandy, since he floats above the entire world anyway…
I still can’t believe that this would even be an issue; Great Britain is not so great anymore…
All that multi-culti crap makes me sick…
Comment by Obstreperous Infidel on 6/12 @ 7:14 am #
Just put a swastika on it and be done with it, Mr. Bryant. What a gigantic douchebag.
Comment by McGehee on 6/12 @ 7:19 am #
Ooh! I’ve got it! A red field with a blue X on it, studded with stars.
Huh? Huh?
Comment by LTC John on 6/12 @ 7:20 am #
OI,hackenkreutz if you please. Wouldn’t want any of us to be accused of being unnuancey or such.
Comment by Rob Crawford on 6/12 @ 7:28 am #
I love the historical idiocy of people like this guy. The Red Cross is the Swiss flag, reversed. The Swiss flag was chosen because they are traditionally neutral.
But, if he insists, how about the Red Ankh? It’s a symbol of life, supposedly incorporates the male and the female aspects, and has no ties to currently practiced religions?
Or the Red Digit? Something like: ..!..
Comment by The Monster on 6/12 @ 7:29 am #
It’s actually spelled “Hakenkreutz”, which means “hooked cross“. So that’s right out.
How about a caduceus?
Comment by The Monster on 6/12 @ 7:30 am #
dammit.
Hakenkreuz
Comment by SBP on 6/12 @ 7:55 am #
Red question mark, assuming that the Unitarians don’t find that offensive.
Comment by Dan Collins on 6/12 @ 7:59 am #
Or The Riddler.
Comment by Joe on 6/12 @ 8:12 am #
A big red star would be nice. Like Texaco, or the Wiccan pentagram, or perhaps the big Soviet star?
Comment by Joe on 6/12 @ 8:13 am #
I am sure the Red Crescent society will follow suit, guess what, most of them would be more offended by some pagan symbol than a cross.
Comment by sdferr on 6/12 @ 8:22 am #
How about a Star of David with the International No Symbol A⃠ overtop? That’s where they’ve been all along anyway.
Comment by Dave E. on 6/12 @ 8:42 am #
Maybe the symbol for approximation, ≈, in red of course. The perfect symbol for our squishy times. And as far as the Red Cross specifically goes, the Wikipedia entry for that is perfect: “…an inexact representation of something that is still close enough to be useful.”
Comment by Joe on 6/12 @ 8:42 am #
How about a penis chicken. draw a crude penis and balls. Put chicken legs down from the ball sack. Make the head the beak and give it a waddle. Some feathers or hairs off the top of the balls and volia! A penis chicken.
Comment by Waterhouse on 6/12 @ 8:50 am #
Maybe we could get a Harvard ’symbologist’ on the case.
Comment by Joe on 6/12 @ 9:00 am #
guinsPen, a Penquin peeing on a Red Wing might work.
Comment by Spiny Norman on 6/12 @ 10:40 am #
LTC John,
I wouldn’t be at all surprised if the International Red Cross just simply adopted the Red Crescent, since it’s only Muslims who are supposedly offended.
Comment by Ella on 6/12 @ 11:00 am #
My donations to the Red Cross have already been trending downward since Katrina and some of their shenanigans. If they change to Red Crescent or Red Whatever, I’m going to have a little extra coin in my account at the end of the month.
Comment by Mikey NTH on 6/12 @ 11:11 am #
They could use a bouquet of Pimpernels, red pimpernals.
Give a touch of devil-may-care to the whole organization.
Or perhaps someone could inform this minister that bowing to silly demands by unreasonable people is idiocy.
Comment by Mikey NTH on 6/12 @ 11:13 am #
I do agree with guinsPen – using the Red Wing would cheapen that noble symbol.
Comment by LTC John on 6/12 @ 11:13 am #
Ella,
Since my experiences with being deployed to assist with relief efforts during the Mississippi Floods of 1993 and Katrina (and Rita)in 2005 I have determined there are two outfits that get relief in place quickest and with the least fanfare. The Salvation Army and Wal-Mart.
Kindly consider the Salvation Army as a replacement for the Red Cross.
Comment by Adriane on 6/12 @ 11:25 am #
Red Wigglers, the Cadillac of worms …
Comment by Christopher Taylor on 6/12 @ 11:52 am #
Perhaps a pair of crossed lines with the ends bent at 90 degree angles, all in the same direction. To avoid it looking like a cross, you could put it on its corner, so the central bars make an X. I understand some cultures use this as a good luck symbol.
Comment by Rob Crawford on 6/12 @ 12:06 pm #
They’re banned from Russia for being a paramilitary organization.
Comment by mojo on 6/12 @ 12:25 pm #
On a field rouge, Digitus Impudens.
Comment by LTC John on 6/12 @ 12:43 pm #
#29 – all the better reason to give them money then!
Comment by DoDoGuRu on 6/12 @ 6:20 pm #
I vote for a picture of Goatse all in red.
Comment by cthulhu on 6/13 @ 1:20 am #
It’s clear that any crossing symbol would smack of Christianity, and any star-like symbol would appeal to soviets (5 points), jews (six points), Aussies (seven points), quilters (eight points), etc.
So I’m thinking the Nike swoosh.
Comment by Rusty on 6/13 @ 5:15 am #
How about a big red disc in a field of white? On second thought that might not fly too well in Asia
Ditto the Salvation Army.
Comment by SGT Ted on 6/13 @ 8:20 am #
I think the Baboons Ass sums it up nicely
Comment by serr8d on 6/13 @ 12:38 pm #
Here ya go.
With apologies to Buck Dharma.
Comment by BuddyPC on 6/13 @ 4:06 pm #
Why don’t any of these self flagellating assholes who stroke it to multiculti orientalism actually want to live in any of these so-great places?
I mean, at least, historically, the most vocal of Great-Satan shouting offended Arab Streeters admit they’ll take a green card to the jim crow occident, if ever offered.
Kinda like how the Great Obama Equivalency Apology Tour hit Qtub Central without the ladies or their hijabs in tow.
Comment by Nazdar on 6/15 @ 7:12 pm #
serr8d, this may be a dead thread, but I’m digging out ‘Agents of Fortune’ tonight. Bless you!