Why workers are fighting back against national pride

The myth of “national pride” that keeps workers chained

Patriotism is sold as a virtue, a unifying banner under which every citizen supposedly thrives. But the reality is a smokescreen erected by corporations, politicians, and media moguls to hide a brutal truth: national pride is a tool for wealth extraction, not a shield for the working class.

From the moment the flag unfurled over a factory floor to the latest “Pride‑month” corporate post, the narrative has been the same—support the nation, support the brand, and you’ll be rewarded. Workers are finally tearing down that banner, and the backlash is nothing short of a revolt against an ideology that has never served them.

• Patriotic rhetoric masks wage theft.
• National symbols justify austerity cuts to public services.
• Corporate “pride” campaigns distract from systematic exploitation.

If you still believe the story that love of country automatically translates into better wages, better health, or a greener future, you’ve been fed a lie.

Who profits when workers wave the flag?

The flag is cheap; the profit it generates is not. When a multinational advertises “Made in Country” and ties its brand to national holidays, it taps into a deep well of emotional loyalty. That loyalty is then converted into higher sales, lower labor costs, and a political shield against regulation.

Consider the United Kingdom’s recent “Pride‑backlash.” The Guardian reported a 92 % drop in Pride posts from the UK’s 10 biggest companies between 2023 and 2025. Those same firms are simultaneously lobbying for tax cuts and deregulation that strip workers of bargaining power.

• Corporate lobbying: In 2024, the Business Lobbying Register shows that the top 20 UK firms spent £1.3 billion on influencing Parliament, predominantly to weaken workers’ rights.
• Wage stagnation: The Office for National Statistics (ONS) recorded real wages for full‑time workers grew only 0.5 % in 2024, despite a 7 % rise in corporate profits.
• Public spending cuts: The same year, the UK government slashed £3 billion from community health services—services that most directly benefit low‑income workers.

Patriotic branding is a co‑opted narrative. It tells workers that their loyalty should be to the flag, not to the union halls or community clinics that keep them alive.

Workers see through the façade

Across factories, warehouses, and call centers, a new consciousness is rising. Union halls are buzzing with discussions not about “love of country” but about living wages, health security, and climate justice. The “national pride” narrative is being stripped of its mystique.

• Living‑wage campaigns in the Midwest have secured a $15 hourly floor for over 12 000 workers, a direct challenge to the “patriotic duty to accept any wage” myth.
• Climate‑justice strikes in coastal cities have linked the exploitation of workers with the exploitation of the planet, demanding public investment in renewable infrastructure rather than subsidies for fossil‑fuel giants that flaunt “national energy independence.”
• LGBTQ+ workplace fights have exploded after the Supreme Court’s 2024 ruling on sex definitions, exposing how corporate “pride” is being weaponized to silence trans workers. The HRC Foundation’s 2026 State of the Workplace report shows only 38 % of LGBTQ+ employees feel truly safe at work, despite public “Pride” messaging.

The numbers tell a stark story: when workers organize around concrete demands, patriotic slogans dissolve. They realize the flag is a banner for the powerful, not a shield for the vulnerable.

The corporate betrayal of Pride and the hollow promise of “inclusion”

Companies love the optics of a rainbow flag—until the boardroom decides the market is safer without it. The Guardian’s 2025 exposé revealed that big businesses have deliberately rolled back public support for Pride. Their internal diversity budgets were cut by up to 45 %, and the most funded LGBTQ+ networks were the first to feel the squeeze.

Why? Because “inclusion” is a profit strategy, not a moral imperative. When a corporation’s PR team sees a backlash, they pull the plug to protect the bottom line. Workers, however, are not fooled.

• 71 % of Americans (GLAAD, 2023) believe companies should have the freedom to participate in Pride, yet only 24 % of Fortune 500 CEOs publicly support trans rights (Harvard Business Review, 2024).
• Trans employees report a 33 % higher turnover rate in firms that cut Pride spending, a cost that far exceeds any short‑term savings from budget cuts.
• Union surveys in 2025 found that 64 % of LGBTQ+ union members view corporate Pride as “performative” and a distraction from real workplace protections.

The betrayal is not just symbolic; it is economic. Cutting LGBTQ+ networks weakens collective bargaining, undermines solidarity, and ultimately lowers wages for everyone. Workers are fighting back not because they dislike flags, but because they refuse to be used as marketing tools while their rights are stripped away.

Misinformation that keeps you compliant

The “national pride” narrative is bolstered by a steady stream of falsehoods. Let’s call them out, point by point.

These myths persist because they serve elite interests. They keep workers divided, fearful, and obedient. By exposing the lies, we give workers the ammunition they need to reject the coercive patriotism sold to them.

What the future demands: collective power over hollow symbols

The battle lines are clear. Workers are no longer willing to let a flag or a rainbow logo stand in for real change. The path forward hinges on collective, publicly funded solutions that strip profit motives from essential services.

• Public investment in green jobs: Redirect subsidies from fossil‑fuel giants to community solar cooperatives; the International Labour Organization estimates 24 million new green jobs could be created by 2030 with proper funding.
• Universal healthcare tied to employment: A single‑payer system would eliminate the “pride‑or‑pay” dilemma that forces workers to choose between health and wages.
• Living‑wage ordinances enforced by municipalities: Cities like Seattle and Glasgow have proven that city‑level mandates can raise the median wage by 12 % without job loss.
• Strong union protections for LGBTQ+ and climate‑justice workers: Embedding anti‑discrimination clauses into collective agreements ensures that inclusion is a right, not a PR stunt.

When workers unite around public investment, not patriotic branding, they dismantle the myth that love of country is synonymous with love of the status quo. The flag can still fly, but it must be re‑appropriated as a symbol of collective ownership, not corporate exploitation.

The angry truth

Patriotism has become a weapon of the powerful, a glossy veneer that hides wage theft, environmental devastation, and systemic oppression. Workers are ripping that veneer away, demanding living wages, climate justice, and genuine inclusion.

The moment you stop equating national symbols with personal security is the moment you become a threat to the elite. The backlash you see is not a rebellion against the flag; it’s a revolt against a system that has weaponized the flag to keep you compliant.

If you feel angry, you’re on the right side. Use that anger to organize, to demand public investment, and to reclaim the symbols that have been hijacked. The flag should wave over factories that pay a living wage, over clinics that treat every citizen, and over streets where all identities are celebrated—not over boardrooms where profit is king.

Sources

• Pride month: can companies fight back against a backlash? – Diversity and Inclusion Leaders
• New HRC Foundation Research Underscores Strength and Strain of Moment… – Human Rights Campaign
• Revealed: how big businesses are rolling back public support for Pride – The Guardian
• Office for National Statistics – Real wages and earnings data 2024
• International Labour Organization – Green Jobs: A Global Overview 2023