ordem e progresso

i like the brasilian flag. it is colourful, the colours match, it is graphic, without having too much going on at the same time (rectangle, diamond, circle)
it is certainly not boring; the little stars take care of adding just a little panache to it.
it is really a flag that suits the country. the green for amazonia, the yellow for all the beaches, the blue for sea and rivers, the stars representing the states. perfect.

well, almost perfect.
for there is one thing in the flag that always makes me giggle. just a little bit. it is the motto. ordem e progresso. that's right - order and progress. now i do not want to be nasty about brasil at all, but if there is 2 things that i would not immediately associate with this great country it is order and progress. sure, since the flag was introduced great strides have been made both in order and progress. no doubt about it.
but i only need to look outside my window to see disorder.
and progress? well, let's put it this way: brasil has not exactly put a man on the moon.
thinking of brasil, other motto's come to mind: cheerfulness and spontaneity. or sun and beach. or black and white (and all the shades in between). or caipirinha and beans. or foot- and volleyball.

maybe it is better to see the motto as an ideal.
"oh come on people, please let's live a bit more orderly. no, don't park your car there and don't shoot your neighbour. and don't have too much fun; every now and then let's try to get things going, ok?"

actually not a bad idea to put an encouragement to the people in your flag. other countries could think of similar motto's. the usa could have the words modesty and peace printed on one of the stripes. india's new credo could be we're all born equal in a quiet surrounding. belgium: good governance and unity. saudi arabia: democracy and equal opportunities. netherlands: subtle, yet flamboyant.
etc. etc.