Do most people in the West under 40 not know significance of hammer & sickle?

[Larry1]

A WNBC reporter covering the May Day rally in New York City seems not to realize that the red flag with the hammer & sickle emblem was the flag of the communist USSR.  She looks to be around 30 years old.  The USSR fell more than two decades ago, so for many people it's just history.  I suspect it's entirely possible that a large percentage of people here under age 40 just wouldn't know what it represented.  What are your thoughts on this?

While covering a May Day rally in Manhattan’s Union Square on Wednesday, NBC New York reporter Ida Siegal was cornered and asked if her network planned to show the communist imagery the protesters were displaying. Hilarity ensued when Siegal immediately became defensive, denying she had seen any communist imagery and asking of the “Hammer-and-Sickle” flags: “What do they represent?”

“You guys are with channel 4 news,” the videographer noted while addressing Siegal and her production team. “Are you guys going to show any of the people with Hammer and Sickle flags?”

“I haven’t seen any of those flags,” Siegal replied amid the din of the ongoing protests activity. “What do they represent?”

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/local-nbc-reporter-hilariously-denies-soviet-flags-present-at-may-day-rally-what-do-they-represent/

Here's a photo of the rally, complete with a good-sized poster of Lenin:

[Boethius]

I suspect they do.  My teens, and their friends, do know what the hammer and sickle represents.
 
The problem is, television media tends to hire on looks, not intellect.   
 

[calmissile]

It's not surprising at all considering our public education system.  They will graduate knowing how to jump on every bandwagon there is including global warming, human rights, solving all the world's problems, but knowing history, balancing their checkbooks, or having learned critical thinking skills, I don't see it in the current generation (except where parents make a real effort to see they are learning useful skills and knowledge).

We sure do have a lot of experts at playing video games, and operating their social media applications with their eyes closed.  Hopefully these skills will be helpful to them in supporting their families.  LOL

[BillyB]

What are your thoughts on this?

My thoughts are young people probably don't even know what a sickle is so how would they be able to identify the USSR flag? They many not even know what USSR stands for. Maybe I'll take a peek into my kids history books and see what they're taught.

We sure do have a lot of experts at playing video games, and operating their social media applications with their eyes closed. 

Kids who play Call of Duty, a military style combat game have seen the hammer and sickle there. In some regards those video games are more educational than history books.

[SANDRO43]

In some regards those video games are more educational than history books.

A poor state of affairs if video games are more educational than history books . Granted that they may be a useful aid, but the latter's meaning is: a supplement to something else which is more substantial.

[Faux Pas]

A poor state of affairs if video games are more educational than history books . Granted that they may be a useful aid, but the latter's meaning is: a supplement to something else which is more substantial.

In Billyb world I can imagine this being the case. Not so much in the real world. 

[BillyB]

Granted that they may be a useful aid,

Video games can be a fantastic aid because it holds children's attention better than books. Anybody who's got kids that play video games can see that. A genius can make money if he can bring out that kind of focus from kids into the classroom. A video game may be the answer.

[Darth_Budda]

I know the Socialist Party USA is based out of NYC...  http://socialistparty-usa.net/

So is the American Communist Party...  http://cpusa.org/

Although the American Communist Party has a cog, hammer and sickle...

[Boethius]

Not so much in the real world. 

I agree.  I asked my daughter today, if most of kids her age know what the hammer and sickle stand for.  I received an eyeroll and a "Duh".  "Of course they do."  she said.  "Everyone knows about the USSR, it was a significant country that changed the way the world was shaped."

[Chicagoguy]

My children sure know. Last Christmas I had my Nazi flag and Soviet flag hanging together next to each other and there was a big reaction.
What are you doing with those !
Get rid of those !
I tried to explain that you never could be sure what flag we might need hanging from our balcony some day  . Maybe a North Korean one ?
But last month I sold the Nazi one at a gun show. It was authentic. No one wanted the Soviet. My Russian wife hates it. I thought it was a curiosity but I understand now it will have to go also.
In truth, I would have needed to add balconies to my house.

[Faux Pas]

My children sure know. Last Christmas I had my Nazi flag and Soviet flag hanging together next to each other and there was a big reaction.
What are you doing with those !
Get rid of those !
I tried to explain that you never could be sure what flag we might need hanging from our balcony some day  . Maybe a North Korean one ?
But last month I sold the Nazi one at a gun show. It was authentic. No one wanted the Soviet. My Russian wife hates it. I thought it was a curiosity but I understand now it will have to go also.
In truth, I would have needed to add balconies to my house.

Seriously Chiguy? You hung a Nazi flag on your balcony? A Soviet flag doesn't carry the same connotation. Do you hang the stars and stripes?

[Shadow]

My children sure know. Last Christmas I had my Nazi flag and Soviet flag hanging together next to each other and there was a big reaction.
What are you doing with those !
Get rid of those !
I tried to explain that you never could be sure what flag we might need hanging from our balcony some day  . Maybe a North Korean one ?
But last month I sold the Nazi one at a gun show. It was authentic. No one wanted the Soviet. My Russian wife hates it. I thought it was a curiosity but I understand now it will have to go also.
In truth, I would have needed to add balconies to my house.

Not surprising. Enough racism to be found in the USA.
However for a Soviet flag there is no use as Communism has already conquered, no more need to promote....

[Darth_Budda]

I take it he is a history buff,,,

Just because he had a Nazi flag and a SU flag does not mean he is a racist...
I have a friend that collects all sorts of WWII stuff... 

At least he didn't tattoo rune's on his neck,,,,,

[mendeleyev]

The problem is, television media tends to hire on looks, not intellect.

Oh goodness, so true.

I remember years ago after the Exxon Valdez oil spill seeing a ditzy blonde on ABC pointing proudly to carloads of young University students who had arrived in San Diego. She was practically beaming while announcing how far the young idiots had DRIVEN to San Diego in order to protest America's dependence on oil. 

[mendeleyev]

The problem is, television media tends to hire on looks, not intellect.

The old expression of "a face for radio" comes to mind...