The Devastating Change Only 12 Months Has Made in the United States
In late October 2024, the landscape was entirely distinct. Prior to the national election, thoughtful residents could recognize the nation's deep flaws – its unfairness and disparity – however they continued to identify it as America. A democratic nation. A land where constitutional order held significance. A nation guided by a respectable and upright leader, even with his advanced age and growing weakness.
Nowadays, as October 2025 ends, many of us hardly identify the country we reside in. People alleged as illegal immigrants are collected and forced into transport, occasionally refused legal rights. The left side of the presidential residence – is undergoing demolition for an obscene dance hall. Donald Trump is harassing his political rivals or supposed enemies and insisting legal authorities surrender an enormous amount of public funds. Soldiers with weapons are deployed across metropolitan centers under fabricated reasons. The defense headquarters, renamed the Defense Ministry, has – in effect – freed itself of day-to-day journalistic scrutiny during its expenditure of what could amount to close to a trillion USD from citizen taxes. Colleges, legal practices, journalism organizations are submitting under the president’s threats, and billionaires are treated like aristocracy.
“America, shortly prior to its 250th birthday as the planet's foremost free society, has tipped over the edge into autocracy and totalitarianism,” Garrett Graff, wrote this past summer. “Finally, faster than I imagined possible, it occurred in America.”
Each day begins to new horrors. It is difficult to grasp – and painful to realize – how severely declined we are, and the rapid pace with which it occurred.
Yet, we know that the president was properly voted in. Even after his highly troubling initial presidency and even after the cautions that came with the knowledge of the rightwing blueprint – following the leader directly said publicly he intended to be a dictator only on the first day – enough Americans selected him instead of the other candidate.
While alarming as the current reality may be, it's more frightening to recognize that we have only been nine months into this presidential term. How will three more years of this deterioration position us? And suppose that timeframe becomes a more extended duration, as there is no one to stop this leader from determining that a third term is essential, possibly for national security reasons?
Granted, all is not lost. There are midterm elections in 2026 which might create a new balance of power, should Democrats retake the Senate or House of Congress. There are public servants who are trying to impose certain responsibility, such as Democratic congressmen that are initiating an inquiry regarding the effort to fund seizure by federal prosecutors.
And a presidential election in the next cycle could start us down the road to healing just as last year’s election put us on this regrettable path.
There are numerous residents demonstrating in public spaces of their cities, as they did recently in the No Kings rallies.
Robert Reich, wrote recently that “the dormant powerhouse of the US is rising”, just as it did post-McCarthyism during the fifties or amid the Vietnam war protests or in the Watergate scandal.
During those times, the unstable nation finally returned to balance.
Reich says he understands the indicators of that awakening and notices it unfolding now. As support, he references the recent massive protests, the extensive, multi-faction opposition against a broadcaster's firing and the near-unanimous rejection by reporters to sign government requirements they only publish what is sanctioned.
“The slumbering entity always remains inactive till certain corruption becomes so noxious, some action so disrespectful of the common good, specific cruelty so disruptive, that the giant is forced other than to stir.”
It's a positive outlook, and I appreciate his knowledgeable stance. Perhaps he will be validated.
At the same time, the big questions endure: is the US able to ever recover? Can it retrieve its status globally and its devotion to constitutional order?
Or must we acknowledge that the 250-year-old experiment functioned for a period, and then – swiftly, totally – ended?
My negative thoughts tells me that the final scenario is correct; that all may indeed be finished. My positive feelings, though, convinces me that we have to attempt, through all methods available.
Personally, working in journalism analysis, that involves encouraging reporters to live up, more fully, to their duty of overseeing leadership. For different individuals, it might involve working on congressional campaigns, or coordinating protests, or developing approaches to safeguard voting rights.
Not even one year prior, we were in a very different place. A year from now? Or in several years? The reality is, we are uncertain. Our sole course is to attempt to persevere.
What Provides Me Hope Now
The engagement I encounter during teaching with young journalists, that are simultaneously hopeful and realistic, {always