More’s the pity if that war is being won. Ethnically based nationalism is a curse on humanity. Celebrate if you wish the coming Balkanization of Great Britain but it is a foolish dream. What is the greatest failing of Europe? It isn’t really a union of states and therefore lacks an appropriate method of wealth transfer from richer to poorer members. Does anybody think the US would be stronger if more power devolved to States? Surely they should be allowed to nullify federal laws they don’t like? No?

Now I had a ringside seat for the Quebec referendum where no also prevailed. Good thing too. The comments by the loser Jacques Parizeau about their victory being stolen by “ethnic” voters left little doubt as to what would have happened to those ethnic groups had the PQ prevailed. Pure laine my ass. Oddly enough the yes to separation side seemed to think Quebec’s vastly disproportionate share of marketing quotas as well as federal subsidies for the major industries there would continue post separation. Lord knows why.

Now me, if I were a Scot I would have asked the yes side some questions. Like maybe whether or not Scotland would be entitled to any further share of naval shipbuilding. Or whether the entire nuclear submarine fleet and their trident missiles would continue to be based in Scotland? Little things like major employers matter don’t they? Would they even have the necessary economic strength to accede to EU membership? Would they survive without it? You need a much better answer to questions like that than “don’t worry about it”