It should be easy for a G7 country to provide its leader with functional structures of office — that is, physical structures — suited to the esteem of a government head.
Official residences of leaders should be understated, but in an old-money kind of way. Clothing should be well-made. Transport fleets should be functional and, yes, classy. Democratic leaders shouldn’t seem to come from 17th century-Versailles, but they should be able to show (and not just tell) that their nations are prosperous and successful. But Canada and, to an extent, the Anglo world, are failing to keep to these basic standards, which, paradoxically, benefits the lazy elite.
