When the United States announced that a ten day ceasefire was struck between them and Iran, a lot of hope filled the air. Many were ready for this war, which many see as useless, to finally come to a close. But those ten days have passed, and even though the ceasefire has been extended, it seems like this conflict is nowhere near its end. And for all citizens not only in the United States, but around the world, the consequences hit very personal. All of us have seen the impact of this war not only on the news, but in our wallets.
Just a few months ago, we saw gas prices at the lowest it has been in years. As much as I did not like our current administration, I at least appreciated the maintained prices at the pump. But quite literally the day after Trump bragged about low gas prices at his State of the Union Address, our country killed the Ayatollah of Iran. This started the war in Iran, and the middle eastern nation did not take this conflict lightly. They immediately started attacking ships in vital trade routes like the Strait of Hormuz, causing the waters to be closed. This cut a lot of oil shipments to places like Asia and Europe, causing global gas prices to skyrocket. Countries in Asia who relied on foreign oil started to ration their supply. And in the United States, where we are fortunate enough to have our own oil supply, the prices still went up. For us in California, it is normal to see gas prices reach $6 a gallon, and the national average has shot up to $4 a gallon.
Our president made many baseless claims during his campaign. But the two that seem ironic now were “low prices” and “no new wars”. As much as I knew that these claims, like many, were lies, I was a little hopeful when I saw gas prices below $4 in California. Even if the president wasn’t directly causing these prices to lower, at least it was happening right? But just like our President’s mental wellbeing, that bliss has long faded away. The American people can not keep living at these prices, especially with an economy seeming to fail. It is easy to cause a useless war when you are a billionaire who has never had to struggle. But to the everyday American who has to spend upwards of $80 just to fill up their car, one wish floats through their minds. End this useless war, immediately.
Photo credit: Hossein Zohrevand via Wikimedia Commons
