Historical consensus around Iraq vs Vietnam

[Libertas Vel Mors]

I wouldn't be shocked if in 40 years the Iraq War is remembered positively, but with more support from Democrats than Republicans. As of 2023, the Iraq War did result in the replacement of a really bad and evil government with a better and democratic government, and probably helped American national security interests in the region. It was still a bad move because the benefits were marginal enough to not justify the extraordinary costs and loss of life, but in a world in which Democrats are more "internationalist" in their outlook and favor greater foreign intervention (which seems likely if the current trend of polarization along social trust lines continues) it seems totally plausible the historical consensus surrounding the Iraq War could be quite positive.