Cliff, I’m certainly not suggesting everyone needs to be in lock-step. I’m sure we have both encountered analysis on the other side of the aisle that assumes all neoconservatives agree with each other, or even that members of the same think tank all agree with each other, and I’m sure we both find that silly. We are not Borg. I’m happy to disagree with you. But I’m not sure how much we do.
I agree with you that the Iraqi Kurds’ aspiration for democracy is greater than their neighbors’, including Turkey’s. At present, however, the Kurdish government does not seem to share its populations’ desire for democracy, because, alas, it does not want to deal with accountability, democracy’s cornerstone.
The Kurdistan Regional Government’s Machiavellianism in terms of pocketbook and alliances has led to the death of U.S. servicemen. Still, we agree most Iraqi Kurds are pro-American. They tend to be more consistently pro-American than their government. I’m glad we agree, therefore, that the Kurdish government’s feet need to be held to the fire. We’ve seen too often in the Middle East that when the only outlet a population is given is between autocracy and theocracy, the result is never good for U.S. national security. But, I take your point that we don’t want to throw the baby out with the bathwater. But, at the same time, it’s important to recognize that the bathwater is starting to stagnate.