The conflict with Iran continues to drive oil prices upward, yet American politicians talk about national security while the working class absorbs the economic consequences. Higher fuel costs never seriously affect the wealthy or the architects of the war in Washington. Instead, the ones who suffer are delivery drivers, commuters and workers already struggling under stagnant wages and spiraling inflation. For years, both parties have framed military escalation as a necessary step in protecting America from forces abroad, while ignoring the consequences back home. But war is never just a geopolitical battle of manpower. Every day that America is fighting for its pride in the world, its Americans at home are biting the bullet. The first casualty of conflict is rarely freedom. It is the working class.