Any thoughts on the 92% vote in the referendum to establish an independent Kurdistan?
Of course Iraq, Iran, Syria and Turkey object, the nations which have actively oppressed the Kurds for decades at least, and I have just heard an Iraqi spokesman saying military force could be used to ‘regain control of the provinces’ and that an independent Kurdistan would cause ‘instability in the region’. What, more instability than now? Probably the fact that the Kurdish area of Iraq has a lot of oil may have something to do with it.
Only Israel has come out in support of the Kurds, probably because it pisses off a lot of their traditional enemies. I don’t understand why other western countries are against it. I have a lot of time for the Kurds (though I’m sure I am ignorant of lots of bad stuff too) - they have been both incredibly brave as well as the most effective group in fighting ISIS, they wind up the Islamic fascist Erdogan which can only be a good thing and in some areas they practise a fascinating and weird and wonderful form of participative democracy akin to syndicalist anarchism. They also seem to allow women a full role in society - including front line fighting against ISIS. If there is one group capable of setting up a stable and open state in this region it would seem to be the Kurds - they have already done this for all intents and purposes in northern Iraq, where the capital Erbil is said to be a very civilised and cultured place. I also doubt they have much to fear in military terms from the Iraqi army.
All the borders in this part of the world were drawn by us and the French after the First World War and seem to bear little relation to ethnic, linguistic and cultural groups (long straight lines through deserts, where most people are nomadic, is a clue). Perhaps a redrawing of them would actually help.
Presumably the EU won't support the Kurds because Spain will dig its heels in (the Catalonian issue) which is what shafted wee Sturgeon's ambitions for Scotland to be an independent EU member