Although the title initially struck me as a bit Dungeons and Dragons, this article by Tom Shakespeare is worth a read. In it, Shakespeare argues that redividing Britain into seven nations, as it was in the dark ages, might be a more efficient way of governing Britain. Each ministate would have about five million people, making it more community-oriented. As he says, ”The new dispensation would suit the traditionalists, because it would be rooted in a history going back to the Dark Ages, and it would suit progressive types, because it’s all about devolution and bringing power closer to the citizen.” But, good academic that he is, he also points out the disadvantages of such a system, such as increased bickering between states: ”Then I remembered that another drawback of localism might be nimby-ism (Not In My Back Yard). When citizens think at the level of their immediate community, they fail to see the common interest that they share with others in their wider society, so they reject that hostel for recovering drug addicts. They tend to be more short term than long term in their analysis, so they reject those wind turbines. They can end up being selfish and defensive and competitive with others.” He goes on to state his support for the e.u, a stance I totally agree with. Definitely worth reading, and mulling over, over one’s sunday morning coffee.