I have to say, I'm always fascinated by that flag being used outside of the South. It's weird when the Northern scum do it, so it's about quadruple weird when Finnish rednecks and NI patriots do. I consider it evidence to my hypothesis that the CBF has taken on a general anti-establishment, anti-government association of its own over the past century. It truly is the "Rebel" Flag.
Specifically a sort of "right-wing" rebel flag that can be flown against perceived stuffy political correctness.
It's unfortunate though, I actually greatly disagree with the blanket bans on ebay and Amazon and so on and if I was from the Southern USA I would probably have my own confused relationship with it and the history of the CSA as a whole.
Taken out of context I don't see it as a fundamentally racist flag, unlike the Stars and Bars or the Bloodstained Banner. This is because the flag was not the flag of government but rather the flag flown in battle. To an extent I actually see the battle flag as a flag representing the "good" in the Confederacy rather than the bad. The kind of stuff that makes you admire Robert E. Lee and the whole "rebellion" thing, their bravery in battle/secession and the idea that Southerners are their own people with their own rights and history.
It's just unfortunate that it has been appropriated by pretty terrible people, like the St. George's Cross in England. I don't think it should be flying outside a government office, not unless you fly a number of others, but it shouldn't be shunned either.
I should also add that black slaves weren't brought to America under the CBF, they were brought there first under Union Jacks and others. I agree with Spike Lee that slavery was a holocaust on Africans, I would even go further to say that it was many times worse, but if you're going to ban the CBF because of what that "represents", ban the British flag, along with Spanish and French flags too at the very least.
If you fundamentally disagree with me and wish to debate further, I encourage you to PM me so we don't flood the Eurothread with more American invasions.