The Tragic Shift Only 12 Months Has Caused in the United States

One year ago, the landscape was entirely distinct. Prior to the American presidential vote, considerate residents could acknowledge America's significant faults – its inequities and disparity – however they continued to see it as America. A democracy. A land where constitutional order held significance. A state headed by a respectable and ethical public servant, notwithstanding his elderly years and declining health.

Currently, as October 2025 ends, numerous citizens barely recognize the nation we inhabit. Persons believed to be undocumented migrants are rounded up and pushed into vehicles, occasionally refused legal rights. The left side of the White House – is undergoing demolition to build a lavish dance hall. The leader is persecuting his adversaries or supposed enemies and demanding federal prosecutors hand over a huge total of citizen dollars. Uniformed troops are dispatched into American cities with deceptive justifications. The military command, relabeled the Department of War, has effectively liberated itself of regular press examination while it uses possibly reaching close to a trillion USD in public funds. Universities, law firms, journalism organizations are yielding under the president’s threats, and wealthy elites are handled as nobility.

“The United States, just months before its quarter-millennium anniversary as the world’s leading democracy, has crossed the limit toward dictatorship and totalitarianism,” an American historian, commented this past summer. “In the end, faster than I imagined possible, it transpired here.”

One awakes to new horrors. And it is difficult to grasp – and painful to realize – just how far gone our nation is, and the speed at which it has happened.

Yet, it is known that the leader was duly elected. Even after his profoundly alarming previous administration and despite the cautions that came with the understanding of the rightwing blueprint – even after the president personally declared plainly he would be a dictator just on day one – a majority of citizens selected him over Kamala Harris.

While alarming as the current reality may be, it's more frightening to realize that we have only been nine months into this administration. What will three more years of this decline leave us? And what if the three years transforms into an prolonged era, as there is not anyone to stop this leader from opting that a third term is necessary, possibly for security concerns?

Admittedly, all is not lost. We will have congressional elections the coming year that could bring a different governmental control, in case Democrats retake either chamber of Congress. We have government representatives who are striving to exert certain responsibility, such as representatives currently initiating an inquiry concerning the try to cash appropriation from legal authorities.

And a presidential election in the next cycle could start our journey to recovery precisely as last year’s election placed us on this regrettable path.

There are countless citizens marching in the streets throughout communities, like they performed last weekend at democracy demonstrations.

An ex-cabinet member, wrote recently that “the great sleeping giant of the US is awakening”, similar to past after the Communist witch-hunt era in the 1950s or throughout the Vietnam war protests or throughout the seventies crisis.

During those times, the tilting vessel ultimately corrected itself.

The author states he understands the signals of that awakening and notices it unfolding at present. As support, he references the large-scale demonstrations, the extensive, bipartisan pushback regarding a personality's dismissal and the largely united rejection by reporters to agree to government requirements they report only authorized information.

“The dormant force perpetually exists asleep till specific greed turns extremely harmful, a particular deed so offensive of societal benefit, specific cruelty so loud, that the giant has no choice but to awaken.”

It's a hopeful perspective, and I appreciate Reich’s experienced view. Possibly he may turn out correct.

Meanwhile, the major inquiries persist: is the US able to ever recover? Can it retrieve its position globally and its devotion to the rule of law?

Or do we need to admit that the 250-year-old experiment succeeded temporarily, and then – suddenly, utterly – failed?

My pessimistic brain suggests that the latter is true; that everything could be finished. My positive feelings, nevertheless, convinces me that we have to attempt, by any means we can.

For me, as an observer of the press, that means pushing media professionals to commit, more fully, to their purpose of scrutinizing authority. For different individuals, it might involve engaging with congressional campaigns, or planning demonstrations, or discovering methods to defend electoral access.

Less than a year ago, we existed in a very different place. Twelve months later? Or three years from now? The truth is, we are uncertain. The only option is to strive to not give up.

What Offers Me Optimism Currently

The interaction I have with students with new media professionals, who are equally visionary and practical, {always