An opinion article published in The Guardian argues that the war in Iran exposes a profound failure of American democracy and leadership. Writing as the war entered its 13th day, Robert Reich, former US secretary of labor, pointed to the growing human and economic toll of the war across West Asia.

Nearly 2,000 people have been murdered in Iran, including 175 children in a US strike on their school, while Washington alleges only seven US soldiers are dead and that at least 140 US service members have been wounded, several critically, with the final toll expected to rise on both sides. 

Beyond the battlefield, the war is reportedly affecting ordinary Americans, as oil and gas prices soar and disproportionately impact low-income and working-class households.

The economic cost of the war on Iran

The war is also imposing a heavy financial burden on the US economy. Current estimates suggest the war is costing roughly $1 billion per day, equivalent to $41,666,667 per hour or about $11,574 per second.

Such resources, he says, could have been directed toward addressing domestic needs in the United States. Many Americans continue to face challenges related to healthcare access, affordable housing, childcare and eldercare, and the quality of schools. Despite these needs, government officials have often argued that funding such programs is financially difficult.

At the same time, the US war budget continues to grow, with nearly $1 trillion allocated to the Pentagon, and calls for an additional $500 billion in funding.

Public opposition to the war

Reportedly, despite the enormous scale of the aggression, polls indicate that the US administration waged a war most Americans do not support. According to multiple surveys, this marks the first modern US war launched without majority public support.

The core issue is not public enthusiasm for war, but rather a failure of political leadership and democratic accountability, Reich states.

Aside from neglecting Congressional approval and national demands, the war itself was waged based on the whims of Trump solely, "without gaining Congress’s approval, without getting the approval of allies, without even articulating a clear reason for it."

Questioning leadership and strategy

In this context, the decision-making behind the war has also drawn scrutiny. Donald Trump has not presented a clear endgame for the aggression, nor offered a consistent explanation of what would constitute victory.

The war was launched without congressional approval, without broad support from international allies, and without a clearly articulated strategic objective.

"The person who sits in the Oval Office has no endgame for this war, hasn’t given a consistent answer for what ‘victory’ will require, and doesn’t appear to know what he’s doing," Reich said.

Debating the state of US democracy

The onslaught has also sparked broader debate about the health of American democracy. The United States has long portrayed itself as a global leader promoting multilateralism, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law since the end of the Second World War.

Reich argues that launching a war without democratic consensus risks undermining those principles and weakening the institutions designed to prevent unilateral military action.

According to the author, the real failure is that "the richest and most powerful nation in the world, the nation that established the postwar international order emphasizing multilateralism, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law, is now being led by a rogue president who rejects all these values."

What can be done?

In response to the war, Reich has called for nationwide demonstrations, as organizers prepare for a large protest across the United States on March 28, aiming to mobilize opposition to the war. 

In the coming weeks and months, Americans should work to reinforce the integrity of the country’s electoral systems to ensure they cannot be undermined by authoritarian leadership in the White House.

He also calls for a record turnout in the November midterm elections, saying voters should seek to reclaim control of Congress from lawmakers who, in his view, have enabled the current president.

At the same time, Reich urges continued efforts to defend local communities, protect immigrants from state violence, and safeguard institutions such as universities, schools, museums, libraries, and independent media.

Ultimately, he contends that the most effective response to the destruction caused by the war is to strengthen the democratic institutions and safeguards that, he argues, should have prevented it from happening in the first place.

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