If I were presented with an honorable occasion to visit the President of the United States and ask him just one question, it would be: why this war? Why are we involved in another foreign conflict? Why are we putting aside the scores of domestic issues that impact our daily lives in profound ways? Why are we focusing on building up countries thousands of miles away when we are very well aware that millions cannot afford quality healthcare or food on our very own soil? Why is there this backtrack of sorts on a supposedly “America First” agenda pledged by none other than President Trump? Why, simply why?
On February 28, 2026 at 1:15 a.m. EST, an otherwise quiet night, U.S. and Israeli drones and missiles began firing at various locations in western and central Iran. The day before the first attacks, President Donald Trump authorized the strikes under the title of Operation Epic Fury whilst travelling on Air Force One to Corpus Christ, Texas. Thus, the first media reports on the operation began coming in only after the initial escalations. Within hours, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) began touting that their combat sortie was the largest and most successful in history, claiming that, alongside the United States, it had successfully struck over 500 military targets, fighter jets, and air defense and military bases. Just months earlier, President Trump and his administration engaged in a short-term military escalation with Iran, striking several nuclear facilities with the intent to destroy Iran’s nuclear program. That initiative largely failed to annihilate Iran’s nuclear defenses and technology, as evidenced by the recent reconstruction and usage of military equipment throughout the ongoing Iran War. Yet despite the clear disconnect between the President’s statements and reality, the administration has not changed their opinion on last year’s strike and continue to claim that the first operation was a success. Along with the barrage of strikes, cybersecurity attacks targeted key government communications, online services and many apps regularly used by civilians, resulting in an internet blackout and online activity as low as 1% compared to regular levels that day, according to NetBlocks. Just an hour later at 2:30 a.m. EST, President Trump posted on his social media site, Truth Social, a statement regarding the conflict, citing Iran’s hostage crisis and perceived threat to global order as the reasons behind the war. A major reversal on his part, Trump also claimed that the United States was engaging in a regime change in Iran, alienating many of his key supporters and voters. As a longtime populist, Trump has touted his opposition to foreign conflict and international interventionism, berating former President Obama back in 2011 for being unable to reach a deal with Iran. In their 2016, 2020, and 2024 campaigns, Republicans rallied against taxpayer money being spent on issues not addressing the American people, including money for Ukraine and aid for impoverished groups across the globe.
Conditions on the ground in the Middle East have only worsened, but so have they in our very own country. Since the opening strikes on Iran, several military commanders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have been deposed and killed. Khamenei’s son, Motjaba Kamenei, has stepped up as the next Supreme Leader, and at least twelve nations have been directly impacted by the war. Nearly every single nation in the region has been affected by the war and hit by at least one missile, with damage spanning from residential havoc to the devastation of numerous American Air Bases, and even the partial shutdown of the Ras Tanura Refinery in Saudi Arabia. Many experts, however, forget the most decisive and profound impact the war has – the lives of average Americans. Since Trump assumed office, he has passed landmark legislation cutting taxes for the wealthiest Americans, cutting healthcare for millions, and overseen the poorest labor market since the COVID-19 pandemic. Although all those factors have worsened the quality of life for virtually every American citizen, gas prices have remained low – until now. Back in 2024, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that Americans spend roughly $204 dollars, or 3.2% of their monthly income, on gasoline expenditures. A 27% increase in gas prices at the pump will put significant pressure on millions of everyday families who already struggle to afford necessities like food, housing and childcare. With all due credit, our government’s ignorance in face of the struggles of the very people who elected them could not be more noticeable than at the present moment.
Before the war, a barrel of crude oil traded at relatively affordable prices between $60 and $71. As of today, prices have remained in the upper $90s, peaking at a $117 a barrel, and are projected to continue to rise as major energy sites endure airstrikes. Whether we like it or not, oil continues to run the world, with high oil prices impacting sectors from electricity to transportation. Our food supply relies on petrol, and when the price of petrol rises, so does the price of the product at the store, as companies typically do not absorb the full cost and pass it on to the consumer. Many of those consequences have not yet been felt, but economists warn that they might soon.
I have never believed in the concept of regime change or in the virtue of American involvement in the interests and business of other countries. It should not be our responsibility as Americans to meddle in the affairs of other leaders and governments unless absolutely necessary and critical to global stability and the protection of American interests and people. The case with Iran is yet another example of neoconservatism that has failed time and time again. When the United States went to war with Iraq and Afghanistan under President George W. Bush’s leadership, the continuation of those wars cost the nation and our taxpayers nearly $6 trillion, with both experiments ceasing to bring any revolutionary change and reform in both countries, all while being paid for by the lives and money of taxpayers. In fact, Presidents Obama, Trump, and Biden did not even care to bat an eye at the grave costs of both wars. There is absolutely no difference between what the United States government has done in numerous cases of regime change and military involvement, and the vision President Trump and his cronies are sharing at the present moment. Whether that’s the illegitimate American conquest in Venezuela, as exemplified earlier this year, or the threats made against Greenland, Canada and now Cuba, it all goes to show that the priority for those closest to the President is simply not the United States itself.
The wealthy and powerful adore war, with hundreds of millions of dollars flowing in through massive government contracts with the defense industry, and not to forget the surging stock prices and investments that so many CEOs and leaders profit from. Our elected officials so easily cease to remember that our country is facing an existential crisis from poverty, unemployment, and a lack of power and influence for the lower and middle classes. There will be no golden age for America unless we rebuild our tax system to address the issues of income inequality and begin restoring decades-long outdated infrastructure and our poor education system. There will be no golden age for America if we keep our wages stagnant and allow dark money to be pumped into our elections with zero accountability. What the Trump Administration has done in Iran is a poignant and an unfortunately somber and dark reminder that those in power do not legitimately care about the interests of the American people, because at the end of the day, money is money, and war brings plenty of it to those who start it.
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