Cartoon: The small price Americans pay

Sunny Lin, Staff Writer • May 26, 2026

Inflation this, inflation that. There’s no denying that, over the past few years, prices seem to only rapidly increase. The first spike people remember is during COVID-19, when the economy emerged from lockdown. Now, we see a similar spike for a very different reason. As of late February, prices per barrel have risen from $60 to the $90-$100 range. This is a result of the conflict between the U.S. and Iran. After U.S. attacks, Iran decided to take control of the Strait of Hormuz, as a large portion of oil has to travel through it to reach the rest of the world. In the previous month, U.S. prices rose 3.8%, according to the New York Times. Furthermore, the government has directed over 80 billion into the war effort, according to the Iran War Cost Tracker. At the start of the conflict, President Donald Trump stated that American lives may be lost if troops were sent in, according to ABC News. Americans should not have to pay $8 per gallon for gas. Americans should not be paying taxes that mainly go to a hard-to-explain conflict. Americans should not face the possibility of dying in that exact conflict. This is not a small price for Americans to pay. (Sunny Lin)

About the Contributor

Sunny Lin

Sunny Lin, Staff Writer

Sunny Lin (class of 2028) is a sophomore at Carlmont High School and a first-year writer for Scot Scoop. She enjoys participating in choral singing and immersing herself in arts and crafts. Besides the arts, she spends her spare time watching 2000s shows and movies with her cats.