>How has the whole Iraq adventure panned out, bearing in mind that northern Kurds recently voted by referendum to secede from Iraq and now risk clashing with Iraqi government forces that (like the Kurds) were trained by the US. They're both considered allies against ISIL.

To the embolded part: When USSR disbanded, much attention was given to people voting for or against alliances. On Crimea I do believe there was no need to fudge such a vote and believe in a unfudged >75% wanting to move back under Putin screen.

Hats off to the Brits for giving the Scots a vote to leave the UK (and too bad they will leave the EU, have to take bitter pills as well...).

But the arguments surfacing on Catalonian plebicites (not only in newspapers printed in Madrid, but over here as well), namely that they are against their constitution and courts forbidding them and sessions of parliament, judgement given after sometimes less than 24H would have been in the headlines as undemocratic if it had happened in former east block.

Makes me wonder what else of our perceived/believed freedom is pure illusion...