A Devastating Change Only 12 Months Has Brought in the US
Twelve months back, the landscape was utterly different. Prior to the American presidential vote, thoughtful citizens could recognize America's serious imperfections – its injustices and inequality – however they still could perceive it as the United States. A democratic nation. A place where constitutional order carried weight. A nation guided by a honorable and decent public servant, even with his advanced age and growing weakness.
Currently, in late October 2025, numerous citizens barely recognize the nation we live in. Individuals alleged as illegal immigrants are detained and pushed into vans, sometimes denied due process. The East Wing of the “people’s house” – is being torn down for an obscene event space. The leader is persecuting his political rivals or alleged foes and requesting the justice department transfer an enormous amount of citizen dollars. Uniformed troops are being sent to US urban areas under fabricated reasons. The defense headquarters, relabeled the Defense Ministry, has effectively freed itself of day-to-day journalistic scrutiny during its expenditure of possibly reaching nearly $1tn of taxpayer money. Institutions, attorney offices, journalism organizations are submitting due to presidential intimidation, and billionaires are treated like aristocracy.
“America, just months before its 250th birthday as the world’s leading democracy, has tipped over the edge into authoritarianism and extremism,” a noted author, wrote this past summer. “Ultimately, more quickly than I thought feasible, it did happen in this country.”
Every morning starts with fresh terrors. And it is difficult to grasp – and painful to realize – how deeply lost our nation is, and how quickly it unfolded.
Nevertheless, it is known that Trump was duly elected. Despite his deeply disturbing initial presidency and following the warnings associated with the awareness of Project 2025 – despite the president personally stated openly he intended to rule as a tyrant just on day one – a majority of citizens elected him instead of Kamala Harris.
As terrifying as today's circumstances are, it's more daunting to recognize that we’re only nine months into this presidential term. How will three more years of this downfall find us? And what if that period turns into an prolonged era, since there is no one to restrain this leader from opting that another term is necessary, possibly for national security reasons?
Admittedly, there is still hope. There are legislative votes next year that may create a new governmental control, if Democrats recapture the Senate or House of Congress. There are government representatives who are attempting to exert some accountability, such as representatives who are initiating an inquiry into the attempted cash appropriation by federal prosecutors.
And a presidential election three years from now could initiate our journey to recovery exactly as the previous vote set us on this disappointing trajectory.
There are millions of Americans protesting in the streets across municipalities, like they performed in the past days at democracy demonstrations.
Robert Reich, wrote recently that “the great sleeping giant of the nation is stirring”, exactly as before after the Communist witch-hunt era in the 1950s or during the sixties activism or throughout the Watergate scandal.
In those instances, the listing ship finally returned to balance.
Reich says he recognizes the indicators of that resurgence and observes it occurring now. As support, he references the recent massive protests, the extensive, bipartisan pushback to a broadcaster's firing and the largely united defiance by media to agree to the defense department’s demands they only publish approved content.
“The slumbering entity perpetually exists dormant until specific greed turns extremely harmful, a particular deed so contemptuous of the common good, specific cruelty so loud, that it has no choice except to rise.”
It's a hopeful perspective, and I value Reich’s experienced view. Possibly he may turn out correct.
Meanwhile, the big questions persist: will the nation regain its footing? Is it possible to restore its position in the world and its devotion to legal principles?
Or do we need to admit that the 250-year-old experiment succeeded temporarily, and then – abruptly, completely – collapsed?
My pessimistic brain suggests that the second option is true; that everything might be gone. My hopeful heart, nevertheless, convinces me that we need to strive, in whatever ways available.
In my case, as an observer of the press, that means encouraging reporters to adhere, more fully, to their mission of overseeing leadership. For others, it could mean participating in election efforts, or coordinating protests, or finding ways to safeguard ballot privileges.
Under twelve months back, we existed in a separate situation. A year from now? Or in several years? The truth is, we don’t know. The only option is to attempt to continue fighting.
What Provides Me Optimism Currently
The engagement I encounter with students with new media professionals, who are equally visionary and grounded, {always
