That's a close-up of part of the World War II memorial in Washington, DC. (Its motto: Nothing exceeds like excess.) (OK, I stole that from my sister, but it's true of that memorial, too.)
Over the weekend, my sister and I were chatting about the U.S. government (specifically about lying to the government, in a purely hypothetical way, of course, but that's another story). It occurred to me that Americans routinely refer to their federal government as "Uncle Sam." On April 15, income tax day, they talk about "paying Uncle Sam." And, of course, Uncle Sam "wants you" to join the military.
But there's no equivalent north of the 49th parallel. People don't talk about paying the Prime Minister or the Queen. Most political cartoons about Canada point a finger at a specific politician or other public figure instead of personifying the entire country.
How significant is this lack of persona? Is it part of an ongoing discussion of identity? Does it signify a country too diverse to be embodied in one figure? Does it show the position of Canada on the world stage--and is that position "blocked by Uncle Sam"?
Just thinking. Not trying to imply anything. Really.
