On Sunday the Iraq war will enter its 1,347th day, thus overtaking the US’s involvement in the second world war. The electorate expressed its disaffection with Iraq by delivering a Democratic victory in mid-term elections earlier this month, yet the conflict has barely caused a ripple in the daily life of most Americans.

Unlike previous wars, most notably Vietnam, where the US’s formal engagement lasted almost three times as long, the economy has continued to look robust having exceeded 3 per cent growth in each of the years since ground forces entered Iraq on March 20 2003.