A Day of Eagles

Image Source: Wiki.

Happy Fourth of July to America!  The USA was born out of rejecting monarchy, especially absolutism, and ironically today one of the last representatives of the greatest monarchical powers on this planet died.  Otto von Habsburg's life spanned a century that saw America, a democratic republic, become the most powerful country on Earth.  Otto was the son of the last emperor of a land once known as the Eastern Roman Empire ('Austria' in German is Österreich, which means 'Eastern Empire'). Even so, imperial Austria and modern America could be considered remarkably similar countries: multinational, both collections of quarrelling substates, all bound together under single uniting principles. Otto von Habsburg's death made me think how young America is; and how Austria, which was such an old realm, was overtaken so rapidly by American ideas in 1918, almost in the blink of an eye.  Both countries use (and used) eagles as their standards.  For some fantastic eagles that show further contrasts and similarities in this mythical symbolism of enormous power, go here and here - and here and here.

Image Source: Wiki.