The Heartbreaking Change Only 12 Months Has Brought in the US
In late October 2024, the situation was completely distinct. Ahead of the US presidential election, reflective residents could acknowledge the nation's significant faults – its unfairness and inequality – yet they could still see it as the United States. A free society. A place where the rule of law held significance. A nation headed by a respectable and decent official, even with his elderly years and growing weakness.
Nowadays, in late October 2025, many of us barely recognize the land we live in. People suspected of being undocumented migrants are collected and shoved into transport, sometimes blocked from fair treatment. The East Wing of the “people’s house” – is being destroyed for a grotesque dance hall. Donald Trump is persecuting his political rivals or perceived antagonists and requesting federal prosecutors hand over an enormous amount of taxpayer money. Armed military personnel are deployed to US urban areas with deceptive justifications. The defense headquarters, relabeled the Defense Ministry, has – in effect – liberated itself of routine media oversight during its expenditure of what could amount to close to a trillion USD in public funds. Colleges, law firms, news companies are buckling from leader's menaces, and billionaires are treated like aristocracy.
“America, shortly prior to its 250-year mark as the globe's top democratic nation, has crossed the limit into authoritarianism and fascism,” a noted author, stated in August. “In the end, swifter than I imagined possible, it transpired here.”
One awakes amid recent atrocities. It is difficult to grasp – and distressing to accept – just how far gone our nation is, and how quickly it has happened.
However, we know that the leader was properly voted in. Even after his highly troubling previous administration and even after the cautions linked to the awareness of Project 2025 – despite the president personally said publicly he would be a dictator just on day one – a majority of citizens elected him over his Democratic opponent.
While alarming as today's circumstances may be, it's more frightening to understand that we are just several months under this leadership. How will another 36 months of this decline position us? And suppose that timeframe becomes a more extended duration, as there is no one to limit this leader from opting that another term is essential, possibly for defense purposes?
Admittedly, all is not lost. There are congressional elections in 2026 that could establish an alternate governmental control, if Democrats regain one or both houses of the legislature. There are public servants who are attempting to apply a degree of oversight, like representatives who are initiating an inquiry regarding the effort to money grab from the justice department.
And a leadership election in 2028 could begin the path to recovery exactly as the previous vote set us on this disappointing trajectory.
There are millions of Americans marching in the streets across municipalities, like they performed in the past days in the No Kings rallies.
A former official, stated lately that “the slumbering force of the US is rising”, just as it did following the Red Scare during the fifties or during the sixties activism or throughout the seventies crisis.
In those instances, the listing ship ultimately corrected itself.
The author states he understands the indicators of that resurgence and observes it occurring at present. As support, he references the recent massive protests, the broad, multi-faction opposition regarding a personality's dismissal and the almost universal rejection by reporters to sign the defense department’s demands they report only authorized information.
“The sleeping giant always remains inactive before certain corruption becomes so noxious, an specific act so disrespectful of societal benefit, certain violence so disruptive, that the giant is compelled but to awaken.”
It's a hopeful perspective, and I appreciate his knowledgeable stance. Perhaps he will be validated.
In the meantime, the major inquiries persist: is the US able to ever recover? Is it possible to restore its status internationally and its adherence to legal principles?
Or must we acknowledge that the national endeavor succeeded temporarily, and then – abruptly, completely – collapsed?
My pessimistic brain indicates that the latter is accurate; that all may indeed be gone. My positive feelings, nevertheless, advises me that we need to strive, by any means we can.
In my case, working in journalism analysis, that means encouraging reporters to adhere, more completely, to their purpose of overseeing leadership. For others, it could mean engaging with election efforts, or planning demonstrations, or discovering methods to safeguard voting rights.
Not even one year prior, we were in a very different place. In the future? Or in several years? The reality is, we don’t know. Our sole course is try to continue fighting.
What Offers Me Hope Now
The engagement I have in the classroom with new media professionals, who are equally hopeful and practical, {always
