[tjradcliffe]

Canada has debated similar issues for most of my lifetime, with the general conclusion that separatists are emotionally driven romantics who believe that since their cause is "right" it must also somehow be practical, although they have never been able to give us anything remotely resembling a practical plan.

I actually think the Scottish referendum question is ridiculous, because it makes it sound like the process of becoming an "independent country" is simple and straightforward, or even meaningful. The most recent (1995) referendum question in Quebec was convoluted and bizarre, but that actually reflected the reality that the "oui" side would be voting for.

My bet is that even if the "aye" side wins in Scotland (unlikely, even with 16-year-olds voting) the result will be an "independent nation" that is so fully entangled with England that it will look more like a Canadian province than a European nation-state. This is doubly true if an "independent" Scotland keeps the pound.