The capitalism forces the state and governments to change their operational structure to accelerate their commercial engine constantly, only occasionally pretending to align with the interests of a thriving human society. The transformations the system sets in motion have an inherent Byronic pathos over a remarkably long period, causing anxiety about futureless world. The American war on Iran over the past seven months has thrown both societies into a state of futureless world. As of September 2026, the United States is beginning to experience the full breadth of what the conflict is consuming. The direct military cost of the war has reached a staggering $43.6 billion, according to one estimate based on official statistics that the U.S. Control Command provided to Congress. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has reported approximately $38 billion through early August, with ongoing monthly expenses of $2 billion to $3 billion. When broader economic factors—household energy impacts, base damage, and long-term costs—are factored in, the total economic footprint may climb much higher. If government reports are any indication, the Defense Department has already spent tens of billions of dollars and burned through large quantities of sophisticated weapons, including air-defense interceptors that could take years to replenish; continued fighting is adding billions of dollars to the cost each month.
In an article by Nik Popli in Time dated October 12, 2026, it was reported that $21.7 billion comes from replacing expended munitions, including $13.1 billion for missile-defense interceptors and $7.3 billion for land-attack cruise missiles. The Pentagon has estimated that repairing physical damage from Iranian strikes to U.S. diplomatic facilities in West Asian countries such as Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates would cost about $184 million. Expenditure on munitions is about $22.3 billion; the loss of aircraft and equipment—including four F-15 fighter jets, seven KC-135 tankers, and up to 30 MQ-9 Reaper drones—comes to $3.7 billion. The Pentagon reports that the war has created strategic inventory shortfalls and exposed bottlenecks in the defense industry’s ability to replenish supplies. Claims of shortage are vehemently denied in order to cover up the futility of the war, but the Defense Department has urged weapons manufacturers and the military-industrial-security complex to increase production.
There have been temporary ceasefire announcements, but they serve only to hoodwink the American people. Congress questions the duration of the war and the future of its funding. Trump’s call for NATO countries to raise their defense budgets to 5 percent of GDP and help the United States in the Iran war has not been heeded. The “America First” and “Peace Through Strength” agenda prepared for Trump by Elbridge Colby—based on four principles: defending the homeland; deterring China in the Indo-Pacific through strength; increasing burden-sharing with U.S. allies and partners; and supercharging the U.S. Defense Industrial Base—indicates that the enormous price of the war so far has been more than critics feared. Democrats argue that the cost of the war is outrageous given the way Trump has played out the Iranian war. It is assumed that the cost of the war would have been much higher if the cost of borrowing to finance the fighting were added. It is noted that government debt stands at $40 trillion. The Trump administration has asked the American public to accept a higher price as the cost of preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon—an absurd logic that the average American is unwilling to buy, as the goalposts for that sacrifice keep moving. They are not prepared to believe the assurance that the conflict will be a “short-term excursion.” With that assurance in view, the White House requested $67.1 billion in additional Pentagon funding, while House Republicans asked for $73 billion in additional funds for defense and intelligence spending.
Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, has made a conservative estimate of the war’s impact on average American households. According to him, the war has cost each household the equivalent of almost $2,000, including $1,100 in energy prices, $540 in higher interest rates, and $360 in military costs. Every week, energy costs are growing by $50 at current fuel prices, as reported by the Associated Press on October 17, 2026.
The November 3 midterm election is drawing nearer. American voters will choose the Congress that will shape the president’s remaining two years. All 435 seats in the House of Representatives are up for election, as members serve two-year terms. In the Senate, where members serve six-year terms, 35 of the 100 seats are up for election, including special elections in Ohio and Florida. Republicans hold a narrow majority in the House, where 218 seats are needed for control, and 53 seats in the Senate, so Democrats need a net gain of four. In addition, voters in states including California, Texas, and Florida will elect 39 governors. Those elected now will be in office for the 2028 presidential election, and many will sign off on its results.
Current forecasts favour Democrats in the House. According to the Cook Political Report, Democrats are expected to gain between 5 and 15 seats. The Senate is closer, with Democrats narrowly ahead in Texas, Iowa, and Michigan. Midterm elections normally serve as a referendum on the president, and the president’s party usually loses seats. In the present case, Trump has made this election about himself. He is now on a rally tour of at least 17 states, telling supporters to “pretend I’m on the ballot.” Unfortunately, his approval rating stands at about 30%, and registered voters prefer Democrats for Congress by around eight points.
The dominant issues that may damage Trump’s party’s prospects are the high cost of living—as groceries, housing, and fuel grow dearer and tariffs push prices up; the unpopularity of the war with Iran; immigration, where large deportation raids have cost Republicans their old advantage; healthcare cuts to the public insurance program for low-income Americans; and, finally, the rise in crime in American cities. In addition, Trump has pushed for proof of citizenship to register to vote, pressed Republican states to redraw their congressional maps in mid-decade, and called for Republicans “to take over” voting in some places. He has not ruled out sending immigration agents or the National Guard to poll stations, although federal law prohibits armed agents from polling places. Officials assert that immigration agents will not patrol them, but the threat alone may keep some voters at home. The fear of losing the midterm elections looms large for Trump. For him, the economic policy and the terrible politics surrounding it may prove disastrous.
