Ticking time bomb: The real reason everything is about to cost more

Systemic Error Podcast · Sep 20, 2026 · 6m

REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein

Washington Chose War. Everyone Else Gets the Bill.

The Decision Came From the Top

The economic damage described here is not an inexplicable “global instability.” The United States and Israel attacked Iran. The Trump administration then committed Washington to higher war spending without a comparable increase in revenue. Six months later, the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed, shipping routes are disrupted, energy costs are rising, and governments and consumers face more expensive borrowing.

That sequence matters because political coverage often begins with the…