>The Iraq war wasn't 4D chess it was much worse: Americans really believed in it. Which is ultimately also why they got their ass kicked: free elections were he

>The Iraq war wasn't 4D chess it was much worse: Americans really believed in it. Which is ultimately also why they got their ass kicked: free elections were held and the Iraqis wanted the Americans out. Instead of installing a puppet government what they got was Iraqi politicians with agency. This is an interesting take - I don't think the goal at the start of the war was to install a puppet government; it was to dismantle the government in power and prevent whatever took its place from having any real ability to project power against vital US interests. Both of these goals were accomplished.