Nationalism power sounds like a recipe for disaster, if I'm brutally honest.
The idea itself isn't too bad, but then its still hard to pick a correct hero or figure for any given country.
Not to mention even if said figure might be celebrated in his or her motherland, they might be greatly disliked in the neighbouring country.
Can't really say the ones you named are that controversial, but I can imagine for example Uncle Sam not being the most popular, say in the Middle East or the streets of Moscow.