Louisiana joined the Union in 1818.
It may have been made by someone, but an 18 star flag was never a recognized official flag of the US for any period of time. Just as when we celebrated the bicentennial in 1976 some companies made flags with a 76 in the blue field, that did not make them an official flag of the United States. . . Just as a flag with a peace sign there would not be.
The official flag of the US was set by Congress to remain with 13 stars and thirteen stripes after they started adding both Stars and Stripes for each new state in 1795 and realized soon the stripes would look ridiculous. They returned to the thirteen stripes and froze the stars at fifteen but the star pattern, and even occasionally the stripes, were at a whim of various flag makers. Finally in 1818, with five more states having been added, congress bowed to pressure from the newer states and codified the flag at thirteen stripes and adding stars for every state, which jumped the count to twenty. They also defined the exact placements of the fields of blue with stars and stripes. Louisiana, the 18th State to join the Union was included among those five additional stars added in 1818. There never was an official 18 Star old glory.
Whether the flag Q posted was an official flag is irrelevant. The question is: why did Q post *that* flag - one with 18-stars and rounded corners. What was he saying to us?
The 18 stars might refer to the 2018 Olympics or 1812. Or the number may have some other meaning.
The corners are interesting. Was he telling us that to be successful in their mission they had to cut corners?
I’ve been thinking about your post that the 18-star flag wasn’t official.
Maybe that’s the point. Q’s image of the 18-star flag with rounded corners means the project in Asia wasn’t official and they cut corners to do it.