Planting flags not seeds

Well the British, the French, the Spanish, the Italians, the Portuguese and more recently the Americans can hardly complain about the Russian claim to the North Pole. Planting flags to claim ownership has strong historical precedent and generally involves a desire to exploit natural resources. I suppose this time there are no native inhabitants to civilize in the interests of the Empire.

Its a pity though, one would have hoped that the human race had grown out of this sort of thing (the optimist in me is showing through). Flags tend to be comprised of dead materials and little organic growth results from their planting. Galatians 6:7 …whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap and Job 4:8 …. they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same both come to mind. One feels however that on this occasion that the consequences of this planting will be reaped by the planet, rather than the perpetrator.