[The cover image of every post in this series is an apolitical mock flag design of my own creation.The flower overlapping the star is a pansy, which represents Free Thought.]
[Personal Note: You have no idea how glad I am to finally finish this series. Sorry for the long gaps between updates but I’ve been very busy. Expect more SMiLE analyses and random one-offs again for the next few weeks.]
One notices many motifs in the political world as they do research, including party iconography or even the clothing choices of various candidates. It’s no coincidence that every Left-Authoritarian state from the USSR to China to North Korea have all used red flags. There’s also a reason why the Libertarian Party in the US uses yellow branding and wear yellow ties in public appearances. Or why Hillary and Bill Clinton wore noticeable purple clothes at her concession speech. And the way news commentators refer to states as red, blue or purple. Branding is a powerful thing that communicates meaning or conveys association between people or groups without having to say a single word.
In some ways, colors and animals carrying political significance traces back to at least Ancient Rome, where only rich aristocrats (and later, the Emperor) could afford purple clothing, which then came to be tied to the idea of wealth and authority. Ancient Rome used the image of eagles on their military banners, the Aquila, which then carried over into the use of eagles in various medieval states’ emblems or coats of arms. Some carried the image of the eagle into modern times in fact, and thus it has come to mean nationalism and state authority. The fasces were carried by lictors, bodyguards of state officials and the emperor, to signify their power to punish or execute dissidents, and these later lent their name and image to fascism.
In the modern era, colors as political branding goes back to at least the French Revolution, where the colors of Paris (blue and red) were combined with that of the monarchy (white) to form the modern national flag and colors of France. The red flag would be used by the radical Jacobin factions, the socialists and communists the world over, from Bolshevik Russians to Labor Parties in America. And yet, in the US, the two major parties never had set colors until 2000, when coincidentally, news networks collectively used red to represent the Republicans and blue for the Democrats. Since then, the association stuck, and they have carried into the present day.
Color Associations
Red: traditionally, red banners and colors are associated with Leftism, and in particular, Marxism, Socialism and their various offshoots. However in America this is the opposite, and Red is used in conjunction with the Republicans.
Orange: this color is often associated with Christian politics and Distributism
Yellow: classical liberalism, and in more modern contexts, libertarianism.
Green: environmentalism and green politics.
Blue: conservatism and capitalism, except in America where the colors are reversed and it has come to be used by the Democrats and liberals.
Purple: sometimes associated with monarchy due to its connection with the ancient Tyrian Purple. It is sometimes used in association with feminism. Most commonly it is used to denote a mixture of left and right ideas, or a swing state.
White: either truce and pacifism, or absolute monarchy, especially the Borboun Dynasty and Czarist Russia (the Whites in the Civil War.)
Black: black is humorously used to represent either anarchism or its polar opposite, fascism.
Brown: Nazism
Gray: secessionist movements or independent politicians
Pink: LGBT movements, though of course they also use the rainbow flag.
Political Symbols
Fascism: Fasces
Nazism: Swastika
Falangism: Yoke and Arrows
Leninism & Stalinism: Hammer and Sickle
Trotskyism: Hammer and Sickle with the number 4
Socialism, Democratic Socialism and Social Democracy: Red Rose
Liberalism: A bird in flight or a donkey (in association with the Democrats) Libertarianism: Torch
Conservatism & Nationalism: Eagle or an elephant (in association with the Republicans)
Environmentalism: Sunflower or a globe
Anarchism: An “A” and any star or flag that’s black
Marxism or Syndicalism: A fist
Syndicalism: A black cat (in reference to wildcat strikes), a gear or cog.
Technocracy: A gear or cog, yin-yang symbol with white and red coloration.
Right-Libertarian: Gadsden Flag (yellow with a snake and the motto “Dont tread on me”)
Agorism: “A” with a superscript “3,” black and gray flag with diagonal division
Minarchism: yellow and blue flag with a diagonal division
Objectivism: Atlas holding up the world
Council Communism & DeLeonism: An arm holding a hammer
Egalitarianism: Equals sign or the letter E
Juche: Sickle, Hammer and paint brush
Distributism: dog with a torch in its mouth (“domini cane”)
Capitalism: dollar sign and “V” for Voluntarism
Transhumanism: H+, Head with a gear on it.
Anarcho-Capitalism: yellow and black flag with a diagonal division, “V” for Voluntarism flipped around to make an “A” shape.
Anarcho-Communism/Anarcho-Syndicalism: red and black flag with a diagonal division.
Anarcho-Primitivism/Anarcho-Environmentalism: green & black flag with a diagonal division
Mutualism: orange and black flag with a diagonal division
Anarcho-Individualism/Anarcho-Egotism: blue and black flag with diagonal division
Anarcho-Transhumanism: indigo and black flag with diagonal division
Anarcha-Feminism: purple and black flag with diagonal division
Queer Anarchism: pink and black flag with diagonal division
Anarcho-Pacifism: white and black flag with diagonal division
Free Thought: Pansy Flower (as seen in this series’ header flags I designed)
My Flag Designs & Symbols I “Invented”
Here are flags I’ve designed for many different political ideologies. It was just a fun project I did on and off in my spare time. I wanted to give certain movements that don’t have a set flag (as opposed to, say, Nazism or Marxism-Leninism which do have iconic banners) something striking and memorable. I wanted to set all of the cookie-cutter anarchist flags apart from one another and give each variation more personality.
You’ll notice some unusual symbols in these flags. Several of which I created anew, others I took from other fields (like alchemy or astronomy) and co-opted into a political context.
White Rabbit: Grassroots organizing (since rabbits eat grass.)
Circuitry: AI and Automation
DMT Molecule: Ending War on Drugs/Embracing Ego Death and Psychedelia
Planets: Space Exploration
Cube: 3D Printing, thinking outside the box
Ship’s Helm: Self-Determination
Robotic Grip: Automation
Alchemic Symbol for Gold: Capitalism, the Rich
Water Pitcher & Trowel: Geoism
Astronomy Symbol for Earth: Earth, Private Property, Land
Constellation: Collectivism, Strength in Numbers
Keys: Christianity
Alchemic/Astronomy Symbol for Pallas Athena: Transgenderism
White Tree of Gondor: Mankind coming together, Unity
You won’t find these next ones in any of my flag designs, but while compiling this final installment I started thinking about what symbols might be appropriate for different foreign policy ideologies. (Strangely, foreign policy of any kind never seems to get associated colors or icons.) I thought of a Wolf for the Realist-Intervention quadrant since they’re pack animals but individuals still try to be the “alpha” (at least as far as pop science is concerned.) For Realist Isolation I considered a shelled animal like an oyster or hermit crab due to their solitary nature. For Liberal Intervention I thought a eusocial insect like a bee would be most fitting. Finally, Liberal Isolation could be a coral reef, individuals acting alone but still part of a greater whole. Or a triforce-like series of triangles, together making a structure but still autonomous shapes.
Centrism. A white road linking blue and red (right and left.) 
This is a visualization of my own political values. I like the moniker “Libertarian Secular Distributism” because I support individual autonomy as much as possible and I believe in distributing both political and economic power as decentralized as possible. I believe the ideal future involves everyone making as many of their own goods as possible via 3D printing while the fruits of robot-labor are distributed to everyone via universal basic income.
A DMT molecule representing both personal/spiritual enlightenment as well as the freedom to partake in such substances in the first place. Circuitry representing AI and automation, which have the potential to free humanity from menial and manual labor so we may pursue a higher calling. Planets because our future depends on space exploration. The cube in the center is for 3D printing. The pansy representing free thought.
Free thought ought to combine introspective thinking (represented by the DMT molecule), extroverted thinking (the planets) and creation (the circuitry.)
Alternate design. 
Another apolitical flag using the pansy for free thought. 
Free thought, merging the organic with artificial 
Free thought, linking right and left 
Free thought using US patriotic coloration 
Free thought, organic and artificial, with alternate design… 
…and alternate coloration. 
Self-Determination 
Random Checkered Design 
Robots and humans living side by side. (Automation) 
Anarcho-Communist 
Alternate Anarcho-Communist 
Capitalism. Gold and Blue for money and rightism. V for Voluntarism 
Corporatocracy/Crony Capitalism/Illiberal Capitalism
Alchemic Symbol of Gold in the center. Vs for Voluntarism.
Alt design for Corporatocracy/Crony Capitalism/Illiberal Capitalism
Different Alchemic Symbol for gold
Deleonism
This advocated for a co-operative socialist revolution through a vanguard party (similar to Leninism) and decentralized trade unions holding each other in check. So this is a divided flag with one side representing unions and the other, the party.
Geolibertarianism.
This combines Georgism’s Land Value Tax with libertarian social values. The trowel and pitcher represent the value added to land by working it. The diamond represents plots of land.
Alt design for Geolibertarianism
Left Communism
This was a group of various alternate paths to Communism in opposition to the centralized, authoritarian path of Lenin and Stalin. One of the founders was Rosa Luxembourgh, whose name supposedly led to the red rose’s association with socialism. Hence, the rose on this flag.
Alt design for Left-Communism
Objectivism.
Hand holding a globe, like Atlas, as in Atlas Shrugged.
Syndicalism
The symbols for Syndicalism include the cog as well as the black cat, which represent rule by experts (technocracy) and wild cat strikes, respectively.
Trotskyism.
The symbol of the fourth international bordered by grain.
Alt-Design for Trotskyism
Alt design for Trotskyism.
Democratic Socialism/Workplace Democracy/Self-Management.
Bunny for grassroots organizing. Many stars making up a greater whole because this is about empowering workers and it’s a decentralized system.
Alt design for Democratic Socialism/Workplace Democracy/Self-Management
Agorism.
Its symbol is A^3, so I wrote out three As
Anarchism without Adjectives
I used the flag of the Free Territory of Ukraine as a template, but replaced its quote with a more all-inclusive Anarchsit one.
Anarchism without Adjectives
I used the flag of the Free Territory of Ukraine as a template, but replaced its quote with a more all-inclusive Anarchsit one.
Anarchism without Adjectives
I used the flag of the Free Territory of Ukraine as a template, but replaced its quote with a more all-inclusive Anarchsit one.
Anarcho-Capitalism
It’s not strictly used for Anarcho-Capitalism, but I used the Gadsden snake because it’s often used in Right-Libertarian circles. Also, An-Cap doesn’t really have any cool symbols of its own. I’ve only ever seen the inverted Voluntaryism “V” as a stylized “A” and the money sign “$.”
Anarcho-Egoism/
Anarcho-Individualism
I combined these because both in ideology and color scheme they’re very similar. I used the Flag of Macedonia as a template, with the symbol for Ego (a circle with a dot in it) at the center. The central “dot” and bottom vertical shaft could also be interpreted as a stylized lowercase “I”
Mutualism/
Anarcho-Distributism
Again, combined the two because they both utilize Orange and Mutualism by itself has no cool symbols. The dog with a flag in its jaw symbolizes Distributism.
National-Anarchism
I originally thought this ideology was a non-existant thought experiment or outright meme, similar to Anarcho-Monarchism. However, it actually has it’s own wikipedia page with credible sources that it exists as a legit ethos.*
I went with a stylized American flag with an eagle that has black wings (black for Anarchism) gripping the classic circumscribed “A” for Anarchy.
*Wikipedia says: “National-anarchism is a radical, anti-capitalist, anti-Marxist, and anti-statist ideology. First-wave national-anarchists advocate that different ethnic and racial groups should peacefully coexist by developing separately in their own confederations of autonomous tribal communes within a post-capitalist stateless society. National-anarchism has elicited skepticism and outright hostility from both left- and right-wing critics. Some accuse national-anarchists of being white nationalists who promote ethnic and racial separatism, while others argue they want the militant chic of calling themselves “anarchists” without the historical and philosophical baggage that accompanies such a claim.”
I say: I think this ideology is an attempt to rebrand Right-Authoritarianism and co-opt its exact opposite (Anarchism, which was traditionally a far-left/left-libertarian idea) to promote an authoritarian, racist society. I don’t think it has any businesses calling itself Anarchist, but I included it anyway.
Anarcho-Pacifism.
This one is self-explanatory.
Anarcho-Syndicalism
The raised first is often used in Marxist and Left-Libertarian stuff. The crossed hammer and torch too. The gear shape represents technocracy and is often used in Syndicalist designs as well, because Syndicalism also advocates a rule by (labor) experts.
Anarcho-Transhumanism
This ideology advocates for humanity to evolve itself using bio-mechanical and/or genetic engineering technology. So I used gears and robot pincers along with human hands and faces. I used the flag of Bosnia and herzegovina as a template.
Alt Anarcho-Transhumanism 
Black Anarchism
This ideology combines the tenets of Anarchism with Black pride and overthrowing racial discrimination or barriers. I found an awesome fist-combined-with-Africa symbol, and combined it with colors typically found on African flags.
Christian Anarchism
This ideology states that Christian doctrine is compatible with, and even inseparable from, the tenets of Anarchism. I used the crossed keys typically associated with the Papacy on an Orange field (because Orange is used in flags to mean Christian Democracy.) The three stars represent the three parts of God.
Alt Christian Anarchism 
Existentialist-Anarchism
The position that Existentialist thought is compatible with, or inherently intwined in Anarchism. As far as I know, there is no symbol for Existentialism. However, when searching Google Image for ideas, the most common tropes were the vastness of space and question marks. Considering Existentialism emphasizes the individual, I think using imagery of space and a question mark is fitting. It expresses that you’re free to go anywhere, do or believe anything and can be anybody.
Anarcha-Feminism
The symbol of Lilith because she was supposedly the first woman and refused to submit to Adam. Broken chains for throwing off the bonds of the patriarchy…yadda yadda.
Alt Anarcha Feminism 
Insurrectionary Anarchism
A subset of Anarchism which rejects Platformism and formal organizations (Popular Assemblies, Party Vanguardism, Labor Unions, etc) and organized resistance, instead emphasizing attack, temporary and informal organizations if any at all, and a refusal to negotiate with Statists or “class opponents.”
So I used the Texan “Come and Take It” flag as an inspiration. Instead of a white flag with a cannon on it, I used modern weapons on a black field (because Black is the color of Anarchism). Instead of the English translation, I used Leonidas’ defiant challenge (“come and take them”) in the original Greek.
Alt Insurrectionary Anarchism 
Queer Anarchism
Admittedly this may not be that all-inclusive. Sorry about that. The white band represents the internal divisions in the LGBT community yet the peace between them. I like using the symbol for Athena for myself as trans–I think it looks cooler and is more meaningful that the classic trans symbol. Just my preference.
Synthesist Anarchism Alt Design
This ideology is the attempt to re-merge all the various subsets of Anarchism back into a single cohesive movement again. Since all Anarchist variations use Black paired with some other color(s) the best way to illustrate that visually is a rainbow in a black field. I used arms to try to communicate the concept of different people (hands) serving different goals (the rainbow) coming together.
Anarcho-Primitivism 
Minarchism.
This ideology already has a flag, which is similar to the diagonally divided flags of anarchism, but with yellow and dark blue. I built on that theme with the blue representing conservative (IE restrained) government and yellow representing civilian life (gold is the color of right-libertarianism.) Since Minarchists advocate for a night watchman state, the blue of this flag contains stars while the gold portion has a hand reaching for a helm, representing civilians taking control of their own affairs.
Market Socialism.
Since this ideology combines some socialist values, (like worker control of the economy and abolition of wage labor) with a market based economy, I decided to combine the colors of capitalism and socialism. (Gold and red, respectively.) The V represents voluntarism, a core component of capitalism, the cog is a common socialist symbol.
Alt design of Market Socialism.
US Transgender Pride Flag. (Since I’ve seen gay pride flags that kept the US canton.) 
Alt Coloration US Trans Pride 
Transgender Pride flag with the colors flipped. 
Trans Pride w/ alt coloration
the Carbon Freeze 
Hello C. I threw all caution to the wind and joined. Your flags are beautiful!
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