The Iraq war was an act of wanton aggression, that's for sure. Bush has openly made a false flag pretext for the invasion, and he should have been held responsible and tried for that.

The fact that the USA were so much more powerful than Iraq does not make it less of a war, though. It was a war and an unforgivable act, but the fact the USA got away with it doesn't legitimise in any way anyone else to be able to invade other countries without punishment. It does not work like that.

It may not have felt like war for people in the US but for people in Iraq it certainly did.

It felt more like a war for the rural parts of America, because per capita their children were sacrificed at a higher rate.

And per capita they had a higher rate of voting for the representatives that voted for that war.

GP was talking about Iraq. That resolution is 3 days after 9/11 pointed "against those responsible for the recent attacks launched against the United States." So not Iraq.

Actually relevant is a year later the vote about Iraq, in which a majority, 157/267, of U.S. Democrat Representatives and Senators were opposed. Left up to the decision of Democrats, there would be no Iraq war. I don't know how people vote Republican just 20 years later. That is lost on most people. I would know, I grew up in a rah rah Bush household.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authorization_for_Use_of_Milit...

Good catch, sorry about that. Looks like it was only ~40% of democrats in the house that voted to go to Iraq.