Are we winning yet?

Are we winning yet?

A quick look at the consequences of the war with Iran and the state of U.S. politics.

NEWS

Michael Kurek

3/30/2026 - 2 min read

I’m surprised this time around. Even many of Trump’s most avid followers are blaming him for the poor U.S. economy over the past year. Now, with the war with Iran, which everyone knows Trump blatantly started, the cost of living for Americans is only rising.

Since the start of the war with Iran on February 28th, Brent (international benchmark) oil prices have increased 58.21%. In return, prices at the pump have increased by an average of 44.27% across the U.S. since then. Not only is this making travel and luxury goods more expensive, but, more importantly, it’s making the cost of living in the U.S. increasingly out of reach. According to the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, this year the average U.S. household will spend an additional $740 on gas because of the jump in oil prices. Consequently, prices of groceries, utilities, shipping, and other essential goods will increase. Life in America is already unaffordable; an irresponsible new war will only make this worse. People should realize Trump never planned on being the “no new wars” president and learn a bit more about his plans during his administration (i.e., Project 2025 and government deregulation).

Not only does the 2026 Iran war affect Americans at home, but it would also be irresponsible not to mention the impact on those living in Iran and the rest of the Middle East. The United States’ actions since its founding have been nothing short of horrific and authoritative. From the genocide of Native Americans to the war on Communism, the U.S. and Israel’s attacks on Iran are nothing new. With the United States’ unwavering support, Israel has been perpetrating an ongoing genocide in Palestine (more specifically, Gaza) for the past few years. Along with ruthless territorial expansion, that's been happening for the past 70+ years. Support for Israel is one of the most bipartisan policies within the Democratic and Republican parties. Trump and both U.S. political parties have blood on their hands from the genocide in Gaza and the endless wars in the Middle East. The war with Iran is the same playbook used by the U.S. and Israel since the formation of the ethnostate. Thousands of civilians in Iran have already lost their lives over the past month, with tens of thousands injured and more displaced. It’s time to put an end to this war.

It’s been a little over a year since the beginning of Trump’s regime, and we don’t seem to be winning yet, as he promised. It's time people notice neither Trump nor either of the political parties in the U.S. care about working people, or those these endless wars impact the most. The wealthy are class-conscious, so let’s become class-conscious as well and put an end to these endless wars and nonsense systems/policies.