The Iraq comparison doesn’t hold up. The threats are different. Iraq was about regime change and WMDs, while Mexico’s issue is cartel violence spilling over. Mexico is also a key trade partner, not an isolated adversary, making intervention far riskier economically and politically. Unlike post 2003 Iraq, Mexico’s government still functions despite cartel influence, and any U.S. military action would be seen as a direct attack on sovereignty, not liberation. Plus, with a shared border, escalation would have immediate consequences at home. The stakes and context are entirely different.