Not much time this morning but I am struck by the international ripples emanating from the Scottish referendum. Several commentators have warned of possible repurcussions if the Jocks vote for independence. The most interested observers, of course, are the Catalonians in Spain where the political temperature between their independence movement and the central government is approaching danger point. Then there's "plucky little Belgium", a stitched together country if ever there was one and the dislike between the Flemings and the Walloons remains high and mutual! North eastern Italy, apparently, has deep longings to return to Austria, and needless to say, the Balkans remain a hotch-potch of mixed nationalities and groupings ever-ready to cut the throat of their neighbours who, they firmly believe, stole their independence.
However, the most interesting repurcussion might be in the mighty United States of America, starting in Texas, but with plenty of other states more than willing to chance their arm on breaking away from Washington and all that it stands for. Texan independence has been bubbling away in the background ever since they joined the Union but the slide into political corruption that has taken place at the national center has brought it forward to the limelight. Many Texans will say to themselves that anything the Jocks can do, we can do better - and, er, bigger, of course!
