A Tragic Change Just One Year Has Caused in America

In late October 2024, the situation was entirely different. Ahead of the American presidential vote, considerate Americans could acknowledge the nation's deep flaws – its injustices and inequality – but they continued to identify it as the United States. A democracy. A country where constitutional order carried weight. A country guided by a honorable and ethical leader, even with his advanced age and growing weakness.

Currently, as October 2025 ends, numerous citizens barely recognize the land we live in. Individuals suspected of being unauthorized foreigners are detained and forced into transport, sometimes blocked from fair treatment. The eastern section of the presidential residence – is being destroyed for a grotesque event space. The president is persecuting his adversaries or alleged foes and requesting legal authorities surrender a massive sum of public funds. Soldiers with weapons are deployed to US urban areas with deceptive justifications. The military command, renamed the Defense Ministry, has practically liberated itself of regular press examination during its expenditure of possibly reaching almost one trillion dollars from citizen taxes. Institutions, attorney offices, news companies are submitting due to presidential intimidation, and wealthy elites are regarded as aristocracy.

“America, just months before its 250^th birthday as the planet's foremost free society, has fallen over the limit into authoritarianism and totalitarianism,” a noted author, stated this past summer. “In the end, faster than I imagined possible, it did happen in America.”

Every morning starts to new horrors. And it is hard to comprehend – and agonizing to acknowledge – how severely declined we are, and the rapid pace with which it has happened.

However, it is known that the president was duly elected. Despite his highly troubling initial presidency and even after the warnings that came with the knowledge of the rightwing blueprint – despite Trump himself declared plainly he intended to act as an autocrat just on day one – sufficient voters selected him over his Democratic opponent.

As terrifying as the current reality may be, it's more frightening to understand that we’re only three-quarters of a year into this administration. Where will another 36 months of this deterioration find us? And what if that timeframe transforms into something even longer, because there is no one to stop this president from deciding that another term is essential, possibly for defense purposes?

Certainly, all is not lost. We will have midterm elections the coming year that could bring a different balance of power, in case Democrats regain either chamber of the legislature. There are public servants who are attempting to impose some accountability, such as Democratic congressmen currently starting a probe concerning the try to cash appropriation from legal authorities.

And a presidential election three years from now could start our journey to recovery exactly as the previous vote placed us on this disappointing trajectory.

We see countless citizens protesting in urban areas of their cities, similar to recent in the past days during anti-authority protests.

An ex-cabinet member, wrote recently that “the slumbering force of the nation is rising”, just as it did post-McCarthyism during the fifties or throughout the Vietnam war protests or during the Watergate scandal.

During those times, the listing ship finally returned to balance.

The author states he knows the indicators of that revival and sees it happening currently. For proof, he points to the recent massive protests, the extensive, multi-faction opposition to a personality's dismissal and the near-unanimous rejection by reporters to agree to the defense department’s demands they report only authorized information.

“The dormant force perpetually exists asleep until specific greed becomes so noxious, an specific act so disrespectful of societal benefit, certain violence so noisy, that he is forced other than to stir.”

It's a hopeful perspective, and I appreciate the author's seasoned opinion. Perhaps he will turn out correct.

In the meantime, the big questions remain: can America regain its footing? Can it reclaim its status in the world and its adherence to constitutional order?

Or do we need to admit that the national endeavor worked for a while, and then – suddenly, utterly – failed?

My cynical mind tells me that the second option is accurate; that everything could be lost. My optimistic spirit, however, advises me that we must try, by any means possible.

In my case, as a media critic, that’s about pushing media professionals to adhere, more thoroughly, to their purpose of holding power to account. For some people, it may be engaging with congressional campaigns, or planning demonstrations, or developing approaches to defend electoral access.

Under twelve months back, we existed in a very different place. A year from now? Or three years from now? The fact is, we cannot predict. The only option is to strive to persevere.

What Offers Me Hope Now

The contact I have during teaching with aspiring reporters, that are simultaneously hopeful and practical, {always