Tripped across this article on msnbc.com just now: Scotland to split from UK and 'be a nation again'? Must be a slow news day or something, because US news agencies rarely report on British politics and even less on events in Scotland (unless it's golf).
The article sums up the recent SNP victories, local attitudes, and thoughts on how Scottish independence might impact American foreign policy. Regarding the latter, the article seems to suggest that the US would oppose Scottish independence. I'm not certain when the article was originally posted, but when I read it at about 11am EDT on June 7th, it has garnered much discussion.
When I lived in Scotland my friends and I used to ponder Scottish independence; although we probably weren't representative of the general populace as we were all doing degrees in Scottish History. Anyway, one friend summed it up quite well - "With my heart, yes absolutely, I'd love an independent Scotland; but with my head, I believe the Union is better." Of course, this was a decade ago, everyone might have changed their minds since then. As an American of Scottish descent living in Scotland, I did wonder if an independent Scotland would have more welcoming immigration rules for those of us who had ancestors who emigrated to the United States and not the Commonwealth. I suppose only time will tell...
n.b. I suppose one could point out that Scotland already is a nation, it just isn't a state.
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