The Tragic Shift a Single Year Has Caused in the United States
One year ago, the landscape was utterly separate. Prior to the American presidential vote, reflective citizens could recognize America's significant faults – its injustices and imbalance – however they continued to perceive it as the United States. A democracy. A land where the rule of law held significance. A country led by a dignified and upright leader, despite his older age and declining health.
Nowadays, as October 2025 ends, countless Americans hardly identify the land we reside in. People alleged as undocumented migrants are detained and shoved into vehicles, sometimes refused legal rights. The left side of the “people’s house” – is undergoing demolition for an obscene event space. The leader is targeting his adversaries or alleged foes and insisting federal prosecutors hand over an enormous amount of citizen dollars. Armed military personnel are deployed to US urban areas on false pretexts. The Pentagon, relabeled the Defense Ministry, has effectively freed itself of day-to-day journalistic scrutiny during its expenditure of what could amount to close to a trillion USD of taxpayer money. Universities, law firms, media outlets are yielding from leader's menaces, and wealthy elites are regarded as aristocracy.
“The US, shortly prior to its 250th birthday as the world’s leading democracy, has crossed the edge into autocracy and extremism,” Garrett Graff, wrote in August. “Ultimately, faster than I believed likely, it transpired in America.”
One awakes to new horrors. It is challenging to understand – and agonizing to acknowledge – how severely declined we have become, and the speed at which it unfolded.
Nevertheless, we know that the leader was duly elected. Despite his highly troubling previous administration and despite the warnings associated with the awareness of Project 2025 – even after the leader directly said publicly he planned to rule as a tyrant solely at the start – sufficient voters elected him rather than his Democratic opponent.
While alarming as today's circumstances are, it’s even scarier to understand that we have only been three-quarters of a year under this leadership. Where will another 36 months of this downfall find us? And suppose that timeframe transforms into a more extended duration, since there is no one to restrain this leader from deciding that a third term is necessary, perhaps for national security reasons?
Admittedly, there is still hope. There are midterm elections next year that could create a new governmental control, should Democrats regain the Senate or House of Congress. There are government representatives who are striving to apply some accountability, such as lawmakers currently initiating an inquiry into the attempted money grab by federal prosecutors.
And a presidential election three years from now could begin us down the road to recovery just as the prior selection put us on this unfortunate course.
There exist numerous residents marching in the streets throughout communities, as they did recently at democracy demonstrations.
Robert Reich, wrote recently that “the great sleeping giant of the US is awakening”, just as it did post-McCarthyism in the 1950s or throughout the Vietnam war protests or in the seventies crisis.
On those occasions, the listing ship ultimately corrected itself.
He claims he understands the signals of that revival and observes it occurring currently. As support, he references the large-scale demonstrations, the widespread, bipartisan pushback against a broadcaster's firing and the near-unanimous rejection by reporters to sign the defense department’s demands they report only approved content.
“The sleeping giant consistently stays inactive before certain corruption grows too toxic, an specific act so disrespectful of societal benefit, specific cruelty so loud, that it is compelled other than to stir.”
It's a positive outlook, and I respect his knowledgeable stance. Possibly he may be validated.
At the same time, the crucial issues remain: is the US able to regain its footing? Can it retrieve its position in the world and its devotion to legal principles?
Or should we recognize that the 250-year-old experiment succeeded temporarily, and then – swiftly, totally – ended?
My pessimistic brain tells me that the second option is true; that everything might be finished. My positive feelings, nevertheless, tells me that we have to attempt, through all methods possible.
Personally, working in journalism analysis, that involves urging journalists to adhere, more thoroughly, to their purpose of overseeing leadership. For different individuals, it may be participating in election efforts, or planning demonstrations, or finding ways to defend voting rights.
Less than a year ago, we were in an alternate reality. Twelve months later? Or after another term? The truth is, we are uncertain. Our sole course is try to not give up.
What’s Giving Me Optimism Currently
The contact I experience in the classroom with aspiring reporters, that are simultaneously visionary and realistic, {always
