Behind the Bastards It Could Happen Here Weekly 257
Nov 7, 2026
Stephen Prochaska and Danielle Lee Thompson, University of Washington disinformation researchers, examine election rumors and conspiracy narratives. Vladimir van Wilgenburg, a Kurdish affairs journalist, discusses Iranian Kurdish factions and regional pressure. Texas political reporter Stephen Monticelli joins a wide-ranging look at Democratic midterm gains, Republican fallout, economic populism, Trump’s Epstein connections, and uprisings abroad.
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Iran’s Opposition Cannot Agree On Kurdish Autonomy
- Iranian opposition groups remain divided over Kurdish identity, autonomy, and strategy.
- Neighboring Turkey and Iraqi Kurdish parties fear that supporting Iranian Kurdish forces could create another autonomous Kurdish region.
Bad Reporting Made Iraqi Kurdistan More Dangerous
- U.S. reporting that Iraqi Kurds were preparing to invade Iran may have misread border deployments intended to prevent such an attack.
- Inaccurate coverage increased Iraqi Kurdistan’s exposure to Iranian missile and drone strikes.
Airstrikes Cannot Create A Kurdish Revolution
- Airstrikes weakened Iran temporarily but did not create the territorial collapse needed for Kurdish insurgents to succeed.
- Without a secure zone, local control, or sustained external commitment, regime change remains unlikely.