I dread even writing his name, but who comes to mind is Donald Trump, and all the footage of him hugging, kissing, and extolling the flag. His presidency showed us what the flag represented to him--MAGA ideals, white supremacy. I agree with you about this indoctrination of children. We are taught from our earliest years to support our nation (USA! USA!), rather than to support our fellow human beings. I don't even feel comfortable watching the Olympics, as it is actually Nations that receive medals, not athletes. I, also, cannot pledge my allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, or any other nation. My allegiance lies in support of working for a peaceful world for all of humanity.