> The use of "we" feels so unfair when a very large majority of the people were ...

mattnewton · on Oct 5, 2023

This is important to remember. One reason it might feel unfair now though is some combination of a) to many people, it is clear the war was a mistake and they remember always being against it now and b) some 35% of the current adult US population, including myself, wasn’t old enough to be polled then, but was legitimately against the war always.

AdamJacobMuller · on Oct 6, 2023

Speaking as someone who was against it.

Iraq was popular because we were lied to.

Saddam was behind 9/11 so we have to go in there in retribution.

Iraq has WMDs and is going to use them on us so we have to go in there to stop them.

Saddam is attacking and killing his own people so we have to go in there on humanitarian grounds.

ryandrake · on Oct 6, 2023

I'm not sure anything would have changed if we knew we were lied to. 2001-2002 was a strange time. A lot of people just wanted war--with anyone. It didn't really matter who we invaded. The Cold War ending meant the USA was out of overt enemies, and this was a real bummer to people who loved war and belligerence, so the sooner we could make enemies and start fighting, the better.