A Devastating Transformation Only 12 Months Has Made in America
Twelve months back, the environment was entirely different. Prior to the American presidential vote, reflective residents could admit America's deep flaws – its injustices and imbalance – but they still could perceive it as the US. A democracy. A land where legal governance held significance. A country led by a honorable and decent official, even with his elderly years and growing weakness.
These days, as October 2025 ends, numerous citizens hardly identify the country we inhabit. Persons suspected of being undocumented migrants are detained and pushed into vans, at times blocked from fair treatment. The East Wing of the “people’s house” – is being torn down for an obscene ballroom. Donald Trump is targeting his adversaries or supposed enemies and requesting federal prosecutors surrender a massive sum of citizen dollars. Uniformed troops are dispatched across metropolitan centers on false pretexts. The Pentagon, rebranded the Defense Ministry, has – in effect – liberated itself of routine media oversight during its expenditure of what could amount to nearly $1tn in public funds. Institutions, legal practices, news companies are buckling under the president’s threats, and wealthy elites are treated like nobility.
“America, only a few months ahead of its 250th birthday as the world’s leading democracy, has tipped over the limit into autocracy and totalitarianism,” an American historian, stated this past summer. “In the end, swifter than I believed likely, it did happen in this country.”
Every morning starts amid recent atrocities. It is challenging to understand – and distressing to accept – how deeply lost our nation is, and the speed at which it has happened.
However, we understand that the president was properly voted in. Following his deeply disturbing previous administration and despite the cautions associated with the awareness of the conservative plan – even after Trump himself stated openly he planned to act as an autocrat only on the first day – sufficient voters chose him instead of Kamala Harris.
As terrifying as the present situation is, it’s even scarier to understand that we are just several months under this leadership. Where will three more years of this downfall position us? And if the three years transforms into a more extended duration, as there is nobody to restrain this president from determining that another term is necessary, possibly for security concerns?
Granted, not everything is hopeless. There are midterm elections the coming year that may bring a different governmental control, if Democrats recapture one or both houses of parliament. There are elected officials who are attempting to impose a degree of oversight, for example Democratic congressmen that are launching an investigation regarding the effort to fund seizure by federal prosecutors.
And a national vote three years from now could start our journey to recovery just as the prior selection placed us on this unfortunate course.
There are millions of Americans demonstrating in urban areas across municipalities, similar to recent last weekend at democracy demonstrations.
A former official, commented this week that “the dormant powerhouse of America is rising”, just as it did after the Communist witch-hunt era in the 1950s or throughout the sixties activism or in the seventies crisis.
During those times, the tilting vessel finally returned to balance.
He claims he understands the signs of that revival and sees it happening at present. As support, he points to the widespread marches, the broad, cross-party resistance to a personality's dismissal and the almost universal refusal by journalists to sign government requirements they report only approved content.
“The slumbering entity perpetually exists inactive till some venality becomes so noxious, an specific act so offensive of the common good, specific cruelty so noisy, that the giant is forced except to rise.”
It's a hopeful perspective, and I respect the author's seasoned opinion. Maybe he’ll be validated.
At the same time, the crucial issues persist: is the US able to regain its footing? Can it retrieve its standing globally and its commitment to legal principles?
Or must we acknowledge that the historical project succeeded temporarily, and then – swiftly, totally – ended?
My pessimistic brain indicates that the second option is accurate; that everything might be lost. My optimistic spirit, nevertheless, tells me that we have to attempt, in whatever ways possible.
For me, as a media critic, that’s about pushing media professionals to live up, more fully, to their duty of holding power to account. For some people, it may be engaging with political races, or coordinating protests, or finding ways to safeguard ballot privileges.
Less than a year ago, we lived in an alternate reality. A year from now? Or three years from now? The reality is, we are uncertain. The only option is try to not give up.
What’s Giving Me Encouragement Today
The interaction I experience during teaching with aspiring reporters, that are simultaneously hopeful and realistic, {always
