Even tools have value; better to be a tool of the state than an obstacle of an adversary.
I'm not American, and I'm rather proud that my elected representatives voted against joining the USA in the Iraq invasion. Americans voted for the Iraq invasion. It was popular[0]. It still remains reasonably popular, with slightly more Americans opposing it than supporting it in 2018[1]. Despite two decades of expenditure, pain and suffering.
"A superglue story also jacks up the Us > Them values. The story needs to be all about good guys and bad guys, with a crisp, clear distinction between the two. The good guys must be good in every way—in knowledge, talent, motivation, and virtue. They’re good now, they were always good in the past, and they’ll continue to be good in the future. The bad guys are the opposite—they are and always have been stupid, ignorant, malicious, and morally backwards. Strife between the good guys and bad guys is always the fault of the bad guys"
There's nothing shocking about that many representatives voting in favor of something that had over two thirds public support. In fact, it looks appropriate.
As for the media, the foreign and public press weren't so in favor. But I'll be the last to suggest that American media isn't terrible. It is.
And all the protests accomplished jackshit. Can't you see that that is the point? Your opinion and protests have no effect. Your protests are just plausible deniability.
The protests failed to invigorate change, not unlike anti mask protests today, because the message wasn't persuasive enough to sufficiently many people.
That's democracy. It's not great, but it's better than the alternatives.
I'm not American, and I'm rather proud that my elected representatives voted against joining the USA in the Iraq invasion. Americans voted for the Iraq invasion. It was popular[0]. It still remains reasonably popular, with slightly more Americans opposing it than supporting it in 2018[1]. Despite two decades of expenditure, pain and suffering.
0: https://news.gallup.com/poll/8038/seventytwo-percent-america...
1: https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/03/19/iraq-war-co...