The Devastating Change a Single Year Has Brought in the United States
In late October 2024, the environment was entirely distinct. Before the national election, thoughtful Americans could acknowledge America's serious imperfections – its injustices and imbalance – however they continued to see it as the United States. A democracy. A land where legal governance meant something. A country led by a respectable and decent official, despite his advanced age and declining health.
Nowadays, in late October 2025, countless Americans scarcely know the land we inhabit. People alleged as illegal immigrants are rounded up and pushed into vehicles, at times refused legal rights. The left side of the White House – is undergoing demolition for an obscene ballroom. The leader is harassing his opponents or perceived antagonists and requesting federal prosecutors hand over an enormous amount of taxpayer money. Armed military personnel are dispatched across metropolitan centers on false pretexts. The military command, relabeled the War Department, has effectively liberated itself of regular press examination during its expenditure of possibly reaching close to a trillion USD from citizen taxes. Colleges, legal practices, news companies are yielding from leader's menaces, and rich magnates are handled as nobility.
“The US, just months before its 250th birthday as the world’s leading democracy, has fallen over the brink into authoritarianism and fascism,” an American historian, commented this past summer. “In the end, faster than I thought feasible, it did happen here.”
Every morning starts amid recent atrocities. It is hard to comprehend – and painful to realize – how severely declined we have become, and the speed at which it has happened.
However, we understand that the leader was duly elected. Despite his deeply disturbing previous administration and following the cautions that came with the knowledge of the rightwing blueprint – even after the president personally declared plainly he would be a dictator only on the first day – enough Americans elected him over Kamala Harris.
Frightening as today's circumstances is, it’s even scarier to understand that we’re only several months into this presidential term. What will three more years of this deterioration leave us? And if that period turns into an prolonged era, because there is nobody to restrain this president from opting that a third term is necessary, maybe for national security reasons?
Certainly, not everything is hopeless. There are midterm elections in 2026 that may create a new governmental control, should Democrats recapture either chamber of Congress. There are public servants who are attempting to exert certain responsibility, like representatives that are launching an investigation into the attempted cash appropriation by federal prosecutors.
And a presidential election in 2028 could start us down the road to recovery exactly as last year’s election placed us on this unfortunate course.
There are numerous residents marching in urban areas of their cities, as they did recently at democracy demonstrations.
A former official, stated lately that “the great sleeping giant of the US is awakening”, exactly as before after the Communist witch-hunt era in that decade or amid anti-war demonstrations or during the seventies crisis.
In those instances, the tilting vessel eventually was righted.
The author states he knows the signals of that awakening and observes it occurring currently. As support, he cites the large-scale demonstrations, the broad, cross-party resistance against a broadcaster's firing and the largely united rejection by reporters to agree to military mandates they solely cover what is sanctioned.
“The slumbering entity perpetually exists dormant till some venality becomes so noxious, an specific act so contemptuous of societal benefit, certain violence so disruptive, that the giant has no choice but to awaken.”
It's a hopeful perspective, and I appreciate Reich’s experienced view. Maybe he’ll be validated.
Meanwhile, the major inquiries persist: is the US able to ever recover? Can it retrieve its status internationally and its devotion to constitutional order?
Or do we need to admit that the national endeavor succeeded temporarily, and then – abruptly, completely – collapsed?
My cynical mind indicates that the latter is accurate; that all may indeed be finished. My positive feelings, nevertheless, advises me that we have to attempt, by any means possible.
For me, working in journalism analysis, that involves encouraging reporters to live up, more fully, to their duty of scrutinizing authority. For different individuals, it might involve participating in congressional campaigns, or organizing rallies, or discovering methods to defend ballot privileges.
Under twelve months back, we lived in a separate situation. A year from now? Or after another term? The reality is, we are uncertain. All we can do is try to not give up.
What’s Giving Me Optimism Currently
The engagement I encounter in the classroom with aspiring reporters, that are simultaneously visionary and grounded, {always
