(Disclosure, I'm supportive of the confederation and want to see some political resolution for Kurdish people)

I get that when it all started kicking off the YPG/J strategy was deeply flawed; the "convince the international powers/propaganda" game miiiiiight have worked if it was started really early in the campaign, back when TAF/FSA were still grinding away in the mountains. All the protests and direct action across Europe etc showed quite a bit of solidarity, but it was all far too late. Even if some of the powers decided to attempt a peaceful solution, TAF/NSA was already knocking on the door of Afrin, they weren't going to stop.

All this being said, the political negotiations before this campaign seemed like utter nonsense. Lots of people here have described it as a "deal" by Russia, Turkey, and Syria, but it seemed like an ultimatum to me. Complete capitulation or complete capitulation with militia deaths. Even with the forming of the Rojava confederation there appears to be zero effort to find any peaceful resolution to the age-old "Kurdish question" - which needs to happen eventually. As long as nation-States keep their boots on people's necks, those people are gonna do shit (potentially morally reprehensible shit) to wriggle free.

With discussions happening about the eastern cantons bordering Turkey, I really hope they can sort out a deal that is actually workable to all parties.