The Price of War Paid By the Poor

Visions
2 days ago
2 min read

Written By: Johanna Foudy

On February 28th, the U.S and Israel launched strikes on Iran’s missile infrastructure, military sites, and leadership.

According to the BBC, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz described the attacks on the 28th as a "pre-emptive strike" to "remove threats against the state of Israel.” However, he did not explain why there was a need for military action at this time.

Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was one of the many killed on the 28th. According to the BBC, as of March 3rd, the death toll is 787.

However, during the last election cycle, President Donald Trump promised no more wars, telling his supporters, “I’m not going to start a war. I’m going to stop wars.” He has even proclaimed himself to be a “candidate of peace.”

The occurrences from this past year and the past weekend prove otherwise. Since returning to the office, Donald Trump has bombed seven countries, and now he has started a war.

Now, I cannot put this behavior past President Trump. The occurrences this weekend are absolutely on brand for him.

I understand that in some cases violence is needed for the greater good, but in cases like this, there seems to be no real cause for the conflict now.

I am here more to discuss the issue at hand, not only from a pacifist's perspective but also from someone who, like many other Americans, is fighting to survive.

In 2024 alone, according to the US Census, 35.9 million people lived below the poverty line. Millions of Americans cannot afford healthcare or college. Millions of Americans are hungry or lack access to things that should be considered basic human rights.

McDowell County, West Virginia, one of the poorest counties in the country, has a poverty rate of 38.4%. The region faces severe economic and educational challenges. Any way out is through both financial and educational means, both of which could be supported by government assistance.

On a more local scale, according to U.S Census information, Paterson is considered one of the most economically disadvantaged cities in NJ. In 2024, 21.2% of people lived in poverty. Many people who live in poverty in Paterson are people of color who are already disadvantaged by many other institutions.

Fighting a war costs hundreds of millions, if not billions, of dollars in taxpayer money. Instead of fighting a war, the government should be helping its own people, not funding and starting a war with its allies.

Donald Trump can claim he is a global peacemaker all he wants, but he can’t be a peacemaker globally if he doesn’t even take care of people domestically.

I am not shocked nor surprised, but I hope that people who voted for him understand what they are getting themselves into.