A Devastating Change Just One Year Has Brought in the United States
In late October 2024, the environment was completely separate. Ahead of the national election, thoughtful residents could recognize the nation's significant faults – its inequities and inequality – however they could still see it as America. A democratic nation. A country where legal governance held significance. A country headed by a honorable and ethical public servant, notwithstanding his older age and declining health.
Nowadays, as October 2025 ends, numerous citizens hardly identify the land we inhabit. Persons believed to be undocumented migrants are rounded up and shoved into vans, at times refused legal rights. The left side of the White House – is being destroyed for an obscene ballroom. The president is targeting his political rivals or supposed enemies and demanding federal prosecutors transfer a massive sum of citizen dollars. Armed military personnel are deployed to US urban areas under fabricated reasons. The Pentagon, rebranded the War Department, has practically liberated itself of routine media oversight while it uses potentially totaling almost one trillion dollars from citizen taxes. Institutions, law firms, media outlets are submitting due to presidential intimidation, and wealthy elites are treated like nobility.
“The United States, just months before its 250-year mark as the planet's foremost free society, has crossed the limit toward dictatorship and totalitarianism,” a noted author, stated in August. “Ultimately, faster than I believed likely, it transpired in this country.”
One awakes with fresh terrors. And it is hard to comprehend – and distressing to accept – how severely declined our nation is, and how quickly it unfolded.
Nevertheless, it is known that the leader was properly voted in. Despite his highly troubling previous administration and following the alerts linked to the understanding of the rightwing blueprint – following the president personally declared plainly he intended to rule as a tyrant only on the first day – enough Americans elected him instead of the other candidate.
Frightening as the present situation are, it’s even scarier to understand that we are just three-quarters of a year into this presidential term. What will three more years of this decline leave us? And suppose that timeframe turns into something even longer, because there is nobody to limit this president from deciding that another term is necessary, perhaps for defense purposes?
Granted, all is not lost. There will be congressional elections the coming year which might bring a different political equilibrium, in case Democrats recapture the Senate or House of the legislature. There are elected officials who are trying to impose a degree of oversight, like Democratic congressmen who are starting a probe into the attempted money grab from legal authorities.
And a presidential election in the next cycle could start us down the road to healing exactly as the previous vote put us on this regrettable path.
We see countless citizens protesting in the streets across municipalities, like they performed last weekend in the No Kings rallies.
Robert Reich, wrote recently that “the dormant powerhouse of the nation is stirring”, exactly as before after the Communist witch-hunt era in the 1950s or during the Vietnam war protests or throughout the Watergate scandal.
In those instances, the listing ship ultimately corrected itself.
The author states he recognizes the signals of that resurgence and sees it happening now. As support, he points to the widespread marches, the broad, cross-party resistance regarding a broadcaster's firing and the near-unanimous refusal by journalists to agree to government requirements they only publish authorized information.
“The slumbering entity perpetually exists asleep till certain corruption turns extremely harmful, a particular deed so contemptuous toward public welfare, specific cruelty so noisy, that he is compelled other than to stir.”
It’s an optimistic take, and I value his knowledgeable stance. Maybe he’ll turn out correct.
Meanwhile, the big questions persist: will the nation ever recover? Can it reclaim its standing internationally and its adherence to constitutional order?
Or do we need to admit that the historical project succeeded temporarily, and then – abruptly, completely – collapsed?
My negative thoughts tells me that the second option is true; that everything might be gone. My hopeful heart, though, convinces me that we have to attempt, by any means possible.
Personally, working in journalism analysis, that means pushing media professionals to adhere, more completely, to their purpose of overseeing leadership. For different individuals, it might involve engaging with election efforts, or coordinating protests, or finding ways to protect electoral access.
Under twelve months back, we lived in a separate situation. Twelve months later? Or after another term? The reality is, we cannot predict. Our sole course is try to not give up.
What Provides Me Optimism Currently
The engagement I have during teaching with young journalists, who are both hopeful and realistic, {always
