A Devastating Change Just One Year Has Made in the US
In late October 2024, the situation was entirely separate. Ahead of the national election, reflective citizens could acknowledge the country's significant faults – its unfairness and inequality – yet they continued to perceive it as the US. A democratic nation. A place where legal governance held significance. A nation headed by a dignified and upright leader, even with his elderly years and increasing frailty.
These days, in late October 2025, many of us barely recognize the land we reside in. Persons suspected of being undocumented migrants are rounded up and shoved into vans, at times refused legal rights. The eastern section of the “people’s house” – is being torn down for a grotesque event space. Donald Trump is persecuting his adversaries or perceived antagonists and demanding federal prosecutors hand over a huge total of taxpayer money. Soldiers with weapons are dispatched across metropolitan centers under fabricated reasons. The Pentagon, renamed the Defense Ministry, has effectively liberated itself of regular press examination as it spends potentially totaling nearly $1tn of taxpayer money. Colleges, legal practices, news companies are submitting under the president’s threats, and billionaires are treated like nobility.
“America, only a few months ahead of its 250th birthday as the world’s leading democracy, has tipped over the limit toward dictatorship and fascism,” Garrett Graff, commented recently. “Finally, swifter than I believed likely, it did happen in America.”
One awakes amid recent atrocities. And it's difficult to grasp – and distressing to accept – how severely declined we are, and the speed at which it unfolded.
Yet, we understand that the president was legitimately chosen. Following his profoundly alarming first term and following the cautions that came with the awareness of the rightwing blueprint – following the president personally stated openly he planned to rule as a tyrant just on day one – a majority of citizens selected him over Kamala Harris.
As terrifying as today's circumstances is, it's more frightening to recognize that we are just several months into this presidential term. Where will an additional three years of this deterioration find us? And if the three years transforms into a more extended duration, as there is not anyone to stop this leader from deciding that a third term is necessary, possibly for national security reasons?
Admittedly, not everything is hopeless. There are legislative votes the coming year that may bring a different governmental control, if Democrats retake the Senate or House of the legislature. There exist government representatives who are attempting to apply a degree of oversight, such as lawmakers that are initiating an inquiry regarding the effort to money grab from legal authorities.
And a national vote three years from now could initiate the path toward restoration just as the prior selection set us on this unfortunate course.
There exist numerous residents marching in the streets of their cities, like they performed recently during anti-authority protests.
A former official, commented this week that “the slumbering force of America is stirring”, just as it did following the Red Scare during the fifties or during the sixties activism or throughout the Nixon controversy.
During those times, the tilting vessel ultimately corrected itself.
He claims he recognizes the indicators of that awakening and sees it happening at present. For proof, he cites the large-scale demonstrations, the broad, cross-party resistance to a television host's removal and the largely united defiance by media to accept military mandates they report only authorized information.
“The sleeping giant perpetually exists inactive before certain corruption turns extremely harmful, an specific act so contemptuous toward public welfare, specific cruelty so noisy, that he is compelled other than to stir.”
It's a positive outlook, and I appreciate the author's seasoned opinion. Perhaps he will prove to be right.
At the same time, the big questions remain: can America regain its footing? Can it reclaim its position in the world and its devotion to the rule of law?
Or should we recognize that the historical project worked for a while, and then – abruptly, completely – collapsed?
My negative thoughts suggests that the final scenario is accurate; that all may indeed be lost. My optimistic spirit, though, convinces me that we have to attempt, in whatever ways we can.
Personally, working in journalism analysis, that involves urging journalists to live up, more fully, to their mission of scrutinizing authority. For some people, it could mean engaging with election efforts, or planning demonstrations, or developing approaches to protect ballot privileges.
Not even one year prior, we were in a separate situation. In the future? Or three years from now? The reality is, we are uncertain. Our sole course is try to continue fighting.
What Offers Me Optimism Currently
The engagement I experience with students with young journalists, who are equally hopeful and practical, {always
