A Heartbreaking Change a Single Year Has Brought in the United States
Twelve months back, the landscape was utterly different. Before the US presidential election, reflective citizens could acknowledge America's serious imperfections – its injustices and imbalance – yet they could still identify it as America. A free society. A country where constitutional order held significance. A state guided by a honorable and upright official, despite his advanced age and growing weakness.
These days, as October 2025 ends, numerous citizens hardly identify the nation we reside in. Individuals believed to be undocumented migrants are rounded up and forced into vehicles, occasionally refused legal rights. The eastern section of the “people’s house” – is being destroyed to build a lavish ballroom. Donald Trump is persecuting his adversaries or perceived antagonists and demanding federal prosecutors transfer a huge total of citizen dollars. Soldiers with weapons are being sent across metropolitan centers on false pretexts. The military command, rebranded the Defense Ministry, has practically freed itself of day-to-day journalistic scrutiny during its expenditure of possibly reaching nearly $1tn from citizen taxes. Colleges, legal practices, news companies are yielding from leader's menaces, and billionaires are regarded as members of the royal family.
“The US, just months before its 250th birthday as the world’s leading democracy, has fallen over the brink into autocracy and fascism,” a noted author, stated in August. “Finally, swifter than I imagined possible, it did happen in America.”
One awakes to new horrors. And it is hard to comprehend – and agonizing to acknowledge – how severely declined we are, and the rapid pace with which it unfolded.
Nevertheless, we know that the president was properly voted in. Despite his profoundly alarming initial presidency and despite the cautions linked to the knowledge of the conservative plan – following the president personally stated openly he planned to be a dictator solely at the start – a majority of citizens selected him rather than Kamala Harris.
As terrifying as the present situation are, it’s even scarier to recognize that we’re only nine months into this presidential term. Where will another 36 months of this downfall leave us? And if that timeframe becomes something even longer, as there is nobody to restrain this leader from opting that additional tenure is required, possibly for security concerns?
Granted, all is not lost. There will be congressional elections the coming year which might create a new balance of power, if Democrats retake either chamber of the legislature. There are public servants who are attempting to apply certain responsibility, like lawmakers who are starting a probe regarding the effort to cash appropriation by federal prosecutors.
And a national vote three years from now could initiate our journey to healing precisely as the previous vote put us on this regrettable path.
We see countless citizens demonstrating in public spaces throughout communities, like they performed in the past days at democracy demonstrations.
Robert Reich, commented this week that “the great sleeping giant of America is stirring”, similar to past post-McCarthyism during the fifties or during anti-war demonstrations or during the Nixon controversy.
During those times, the listing ship finally returned to balance.
Reich says he recognizes the indicators of that awakening and observes it occurring at present. For proof, he cites the recent massive protests, the widespread, multi-faction opposition to a personality's dismissal and the near-unanimous rejection by reporters to agree to the defense department’s demands they report only authorized information.
“The slumbering entity consistently stays asleep before some venality becomes so noxious, some action so contemptuous of the common good, specific cruelty so loud, that he has no choice but to awaken.”
It's a hopeful perspective, and I respect the author's seasoned opinion. Maybe he’ll prove to be right.
Meanwhile, the major inquiries endure: will the nation regain its footing? Is it possible to restore its status in the world and its adherence to legal principles?
Or must we acknowledge that the historical project succeeded temporarily, and then – swiftly, totally – ended?
My negative thoughts tells me that the latter is true; that everything might be lost. My positive feelings, nevertheless, advises me that we need to strive, by any means we can.
For me, working in journalism analysis, that’s about pushing media professionals to live up, more fully, to their purpose of scrutinizing authority. For different individuals, it could mean participating in congressional campaigns, or coordinating protests, or discovering methods to safeguard ballot privileges.
Under twelve months back, we were in a very different place. In the future? Or three years from now? The reality is, we cannot predict. All we can do is to strive to persevere.
What’s Giving Me Optimism Currently
The interaction I encounter with students with new media professionals, who are both idealistic and practical, {always
