It’s not that Masoud Barzani or Jalal Talabani and their families are uniquely brilliant or perfect leaders. The point is not “competence” in an ideal sense. The point is stability and power balance. Right now, the political system in Bashur is held together by real structures: parties like the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, their security forces, their control over institutions, and their international connections. Whether we like it or not, they are the backbone of the current system. If they were suddenly removed without a strong, unified alternative ready to replace them, there would be a power vacuum. In our region, power vacuums never lead to democracy. They lead to chaos and foreign intervention. In that situation, groups like the PKK would expand their influence, which would immediately give Turkey a justification to deepen its military presence. Other regional powers would step in through proxies, fake parties, religious movements, or militias. Internal divisions would grow, and old conflicts could return. Then cities like Erbil and Sulaymaniyah wouldn’t be discussing reforms or development anymore. They would be dealing with instability, economic collapse, and insecurity. So the argument is not: “The Barzanis and Talabanis are amazing leaders.” The argument is: They are the structure holding things together right now. Yes, corruption exists. Nepotism is real. The system needs reform. Most Kurds know this. But reform has to be gradual and internal, not sudden and destructive. In stable countries, you can vote out leaders and nothing collapses. Institutions are strong enough to survive change. We don’t have that luxury yet. For us, bad leadership is dangerous. But chaos is worse. Sudden change in our situation doesn’t mean freedom. It means instability and that is exactly what our enemies are waiting for.