A while back I was tweeting that it would be great if the UK split up into its constituent countries, but even better if England then split up into regions.
Reason being that Iraq and Brexit had shown us to be significant forces for downright evil, not just antidemocratic and lying populism. Chopping us up would hamper our single market, but the great benefit would be restraining our capacity to wreak havoc on others.
I feel sure that the US would be better chopped up too for the same reasons, but *10 or whatever their military procurement multiple over the UK is.
To be clear, I am very anti regionalism and localism. I hate the Cornish nationalism thing. And Scottish nationalism. NI sects. Northern stuff. States rights. All terrible.
Together we can risk share better; face down foes; coordinate to stop climate change; internalize externalities on a grander scale. But if these large collectives get hijacked by the populists we can do great harm.
'Better together', to borrow a phrase from a counter independence movement, presumes that the 'together' entity does not get hijacked and translates votes into fair pursuit of public goods.
Better together, but cordoned off with democratic firewalls so that the populists can't hijack us all at once.
So, if you are campaigning for a sub UK or US indendence movement, you are likely stupid and/or bigotted, but I will have an eye on it and might yet support you.
Anyway that's my pitch for Governor of the Bank of Scotland.
