I partly agree with you. People are very quick to say the government should pay for this or that, but when asked to pay more tax, flatly refuse (or vote for a party which will keep their tax low).
It never fails to amaze me that people don't understand the term government spending ... like...
Yes, clearly the government represents the national to the wider world as well as reflects the character of the people who live in it.
When I was a young man you wouldn't have met someone as proud to be English as me. Now I'm ashamed