Black Flags symbolized independence from State control.

@Kurt:

Care to expand on that?  And also to explain why the title is relevant to Taki?

Didn’t a black flag convey the message, “Quarter will neither be given nor asked”?

@Will Grigg:

We have a winner!  Sorry, Kurt--you were close.

Actually, tell you what, Kurt: If you can tell me the (mundane, not symbolic) reason why the title is relevant, I’ll give you a free sub, too.  It is Christmas, after all.

This is a very generous offer from Chronicles, which is simply an outstanding magazine.  I think anyone who enjoys Taki’s Top Drawer will enjoy Chronicles.

Chronicles is simply the best print magazine published in the US, and I would strongly urge readers of Taki’s Top Drawer to subscribe if you do not already do so.  Among many other great features are the related Rockford Institute Summer and Winter Schools, which address themes also addressed here, in more depth. The Summer School has featured some of my favorite speakers, including Fr. Hugh Barbour, O. Praem., and Prof. Claude Polin, in a memorable three-part exegesis of de Maistre, de Bonald and Maurras. Unfortunately, the Maurras tape has not been available for public purchase, due to reasons that I can only guess at (while Polin does not endorse everything in Maurrasien thought, he was perhaps more favorable to the old maitre than would suffice to keep him from being fined for political incorrectness in the great liberal republic). BTW, Scott, now that Sarkozy is in power, do you think that the Maurras tape could be sold freely? The discussion of Maurras on the “Zulus” is priceless.

I think I have had Chronicles confused with a neo-con mag that also begins with a c.  The name escapes me now.  I always thought it odd that such good columns came from a neo-con mag. hahahaha.  I will take you up on the offer.

Also, on the whimsical side, Chilton Williamson’s fictional (?) serialized account of the adventures of the Americanized Hector (“Pancho”) Villa, his wife AveMaria and their daughter Contracepcion are side-splitting.

Thanks, Tom and Woody, for the kind words.  (By the way, Tom Piatak is a frequent contributor to Chronicles.)

The Maurras lecture was extremely good, but I think it will take more of a sea change than simply Sarkozy holding power to make Professor Polin feel comfortable in releasing the tape.  For those of you have never attended one of our events (Summer School, Winter School, Convivia, John Randolph Club), this is just one more reason to do so: You’ll hear lectures you’re never going to hear anywhere else.

“Under the black flag” is in reality already taken by that Grand Serbian Chetnik apologist in your magazine, who has made gullible right wing Americans believe that Serbs defend whiteness and the Western way of life. The Chetniks too use a black flag, with a death scull and bones. Kinda shows what nice fellows they always been.

Is it a reference to the Mencken quote, as in:

Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin to slit throats.

As always, “Taki’s Top Drawer” provokes recurse to the encyclopedia (OK, here, the Wikipedia). Quoting from the article on “Red Flag”:
From as early as the 15th century the red flag was known as the “flag of defiance” [1]. It was raised in cities and castles under siege to indicate that there would be “no surrender” [2] [3].

It is known that from about 1300, Norman ships would fly red streamers to indicate that they would “give no quarter” (take no prisoners) in battle. This usage persisted into the 17th century, when the flag was adopted by Buccaneers, who were pirates of French origin operating in the West Indies. Buccaneers would initially hoist the Jolly Roger to intimidate their foes. If the victims chose to fight rather than submit to being boarded, the pirates would then raise the red flag to indicate that once the ship had been captured, no man would be spared.[2]

Closer to home for us Texians, it is generally known that the flag that Santa Anna hoisted to signal “no quarter” at the Alamo was a red flag.

Finally, somebody - Taki’s article - has noticed the emblematic significance of that picture on the NYT front page: GWB looking like a girl on her first date with his hand clutched by the billionaire Saudi camel-driver.  No other image of our millenium expresses the abysmal state of dhimmitude into which the West, especially the USA has fallen or should I say is trapped.

Chronicles is the best American conservative magazine in print.  If you don’t subscribe already, you should.