The KRG Dream

By Meer Ako Ali:

We hear a lot about the ‘American Dream’ from US cultural broadcasts. Rooted in the United States Declaration of Independence, the American Dream drives every hard-working US citizen with promises of equal opportunity, of prosperity and happiness and upward social mobility; it is a promise of fair competition.

This dream was a glorious vision of the US Founding Fathers in the 1700’s and – even though America has somewhat strayed away from fair competition – it continues to attract a majority of immigrants to the US. The Thai rice farmer dreams of going to America where he can ensure prosperity for his children through his toil. The Russian factory operator dreams of opening his own business in America during his 5-minute work breaks. Until they both get slapped by reality.

The other day reality slapped me too: There is also a KRG Dream! Even though it is much less broadcasted and acclaimed than its American equivalent, I can still see the pattern. I am not talking about claims to a sovereign nation or anything political here. The KRG Dream is a trend that has been nailed into the Kurdish lifestyle in Iraq only recently.

Most young KRG citizens who have outgrown the “I-want-to-be-a-firefighter-when-I-grow-up” stage, which typically ends at the age of eight, have a dream. They dream of spending the 11 first years of their education kicking the dust. In their 12th year, when they are high school seniors, they want to lock themselves for the whole 12 months in preparation for their decisive Baccalaureate tests. This stage of hardcore memorization is no doubt the hardest year in their life, during which they are exposed to intense psychological pressure. However, if they get accepted into Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, or Engineering – according to the dictates of the KRG Dream – it is all smooth rolling from there.

Next step is getting a driver’s license and their fantasy sports car as soon as they turn 18. The rest of their days will be spent idly cruising urban highways and roads; no tedious work of any kind shall be done, except occasionally they memorize the number of sidewalk tiles and even female-only high schools to report to their friends because they got so fond of regurgitation in 12th grade. When not cruising, a long café hangout in the evening does the trick.

If you are living this or anything close, then congratulations. You are among the petite 4%-or-so living the KRG Dream. That is the good news. As for the bad news, you might want to consider ditching your 4-percenter elite group. Sure, 4 is a nice number and might even be your favorite, but the KRG Dream by no means provides a productive or progressive lifestyle. The only progression that might happen is the disintegration of your car brakes as you stop at every next female-only high school and the degeneration of your lungs as you sit hours on end in smoke-filled cafés.

Plus, if Kurdistan becomes wholly characterized by the KRG Dream, our soon-to-become country will not be attracting any good international attention. Neither from Thai rice farmers nor Russian factory operators.

Copyright © 2012 Kurdistantribune.com

4 Responses to The KRG Dream
  1. Hamma Mirwaisi
    August 3, 2012 | 19:19

    To Kak Meer Ako Ali and other young Kurds

    We went through life fighting for that dream to have country like the USA but as usual we are unfortunate people on earth and got only leaders like Massoud Bazani and Jalal Talabani without education and civilization.

    The US founders had dream to build country like the USA.

    After many years of research, I found out, that, wee Kurds used to have “Civilization 12,000 years ago”, that civilization produced Dyako, General Harpago and Cyrus the Great.

    President Thomas Jefferson of America helped to write American constitution. He used knowledge of federalism from King of Lycia General Harpago and human values from Emperor Cyrus the Great of Median Empire to write such constitution.

    That constitution helped America to be super power in 200 years.

    In short only education can help us Kurds to achieve our dreams. I hope you and other young Kurds will study harder to re-claim our past civilization when we are gone in this terrible world.

    Proud of you for gaining so much knowledge in such environment, run by wild west of Barzani and Talabani.

    • Zmnako Hama Rash the Huge
      August 10, 2012 | 23:28

      Dear Hamma Mirwaisi,
      Why don’t you just go to facebook and like some random stuff instead of composing intellectual hedgehopper on Kurdish sites?

      “…but as usual we are unfortunate people on earth and got only leaders like Massoud Bazani and Jalal Talabani without education and civilization.”

      Talabani and Barzani are not the main problem. Their corrupt behavior arises from a corrupt culture. You probably have the same primitive mindset.

      “The US founders had dream to build country like the USA. ”

      No. The founders of the United States did what was good at present; the future is in god’s hand.
      They created a country based on certain assumptions and as it seems, these assumptions were….. effective.

      “After many years of research, I found out, that, wee Kurds used to have ‘Civilization 12,000 years ago'[…]”
      After many years? Man, do you have a hamster-powered internet? I just needed one Google search request.

      “…from Emperor Cyrus the Great of Median Empire to write such constitution.”

      Cyrus the Great wasn’t a Median Empire. He was half Median and half Persian. Actually, he marked the end of the old Kurdish confederation which we now call the Median Empire.

      “In short only education can help us Kurds to achieve our dreams.”

      Education alone won’t change anything. I might know how to build an apartment tower, but I still can be a money-grubbing person who focusees alone on stealing others money.
      By the way: The Kurdish leaders are classified as highly competent by powreful state secretaries. But they still “fail” to maintain an effective working infrastructure.

      A young Kurd

  2. Hamma Mirwaisi
    August 12, 2012 | 08:40

    Dear Zmnako Hama Rash

    We have people with mentality like you that is why we not have country.

    You answer me and other Kurds
    Why we are not successful to liberate ourselves from occupiers for over 2500 years. It is because of people like you looking for self interest than serving all.

    Bazanai and Talabani and other Kurdish leaders so far are not comparable to those who found the US with constitution and rule of laws.

    No we did not have internet 12,000 years ago but we have it today. Found us one country on earth to be like the country of Barzani and Talabani thieves.

    You wrote about Cyrus the great from what our enemies’ wrote for us, I know Cyrus the Great was an Emperor of Median Empire based on my finding wit document. I can prove what I wrote in any Universities who care to know the truth.

    Yes only education can help us to be liberated from thieves like Barzani and Talabani.

    Jewish people are about 11 million people on earth. They are in control of the power like the US Government through education not through guerrilla warfare on mountain, which created leaders like Barzani and Talabani for us.

    You wrote “The Kurdish leaders are classified as highly competent by powreful state secretaries”.

    I wonder we have so many young people running away from Kurdistan, because these leaders are so competent !!!

    Those who classified Kurdish leaders to be “highly competent” are not telling truth, like you do now. They are after the self interest not after the interest of Kurdish people.

  3. Zmnako Hama Rash the Huge
    August 16, 2012 | 23:49

    Hamma Mirwasi,
    Your…shall I say ‘response’ doesn’t refer to what I said previously but is full of mere assumptions rising from your poor intellect. Not being able to COMMUNICATE but rather bombard who ever doesn’t share your opinion with bizzare allegations is unfortunately a long-known Kurdish truth.

    “Why we are not successful to liberate ourselves from occupiers for over 2500 years”

    Cheap, really cheap. The stated period of time is too long to quickly answer it. And who says that at some point we weren’t free? History is against you, friend.

    “I know Cyrus the Great was an Emperor of Median Empire based on my finding wit document. I can prove what I wrote in any Universities who care to know the truth.”

    I don’t care what you know and what you can or can not. Just prove it and name these Universities/Works.

    “Yes only education can help us to be liberated from thieves like Barzani and Talabani.”

    And? Do you feel better now? Good.

    “I wonder we have so many young people running away from Kurdistan, because these leaders are so competent !!!”

    That has many reasons. One of them being that the leaders and accomplices of Kurdistans main fractions are corrupt. But the Kurdish youth partially expects too much from a government that is under pressure from all sides. We shouldn’t forget that we are surounded by Arabs,Turks and Persians who try everything in their power to stop our quasi-state from growing.

    A young Kurd.

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