Nancy2 wrote:
>
> You never miss a trick, do you. Why on earth would an ordinary US
> citizen know anything about the Commonwealth and the modern meaning of
> it? It doesn't exactly come up in everyday conversation.

Most US states are "states". Virginia is a "commonwealth" and maybe
some others are as well. Thus the Commonwealth Games are organized out
of Roanoake. If we're talking US ignorance I may as well magnify it
some. ;^)

> Given that most of us "ignorant" Americans think of Commonwealth =
> British Empire, I'd say we could be excused on this one. Calling us
> ignorant for thinking of Commonwealth in those terms, is no more
> American-centric than you thinking every non-Commonwealth citizen
> should know what it actually is, is Commonwealth-centric. No?

The US participates in the Pan-American Games. I remember the airplanes
but I thought that airline went out of business. ;^)