The double-edged sword

Catalonia. Referendum. Independence. Violence. Battle scenes accompanying an illegal, unconstitutional referendum for secession. All of this has clouded the sober assessment of the whole process of Catalonia's drive for independence. Many, regardless of their alignment, whether they sympathize with the Catalan irredentists or the supporters of Spain's territorial integrity, have allowed their opinions to be affected by Madrid's firm actions.

Why the idea of direct democracy is a tricky one...