In late October 2024, the environment was completely separate. Before the US presidential election, thoughtful citizens could recognize America's deep flaws – its inequities and imbalance – yet they still could see it as the United States. A democratic nation. A land where the rule of law carried weight. A country led by a respectable and ethical official, despite his older age and declining health.
Currently, as October 2025 ends, countless Americans hardly identify the land we inhabit. People alleged as illegal immigrants are collected and pushed into vans, occasionally blocked from fair treatment. The East Wing of the presidential residence – is being destroyed for an obscene event space. Donald Trump is targeting his adversaries or perceived antagonists and insisting legal authorities hand over a massive sum of public funds. Armed military personnel are deployed into American cities under fabricated reasons. The military command, renamed the Defense Ministry, has practically liberated itself of day-to-day journalistic scrutiny as it spends what could amount to close to a trillion USD from citizen taxes. Institutions, legal practices, news companies are submitting due to presidential intimidation, and wealthy elites are handled as members of the royal family.
“The US, shortly prior to its 250-year mark as the world’s leading democracy, has fallen over the edge toward dictatorship and fascism,” a noted author, wrote this past summer. “Finally, faster than I thought feasible, it transpired in this country.”
Every morning starts to new horrors. It is challenging to understand – and distressing to accept – how deeply lost we are, and the speed at which it occurred.
Yet, we know that the leader was properly voted in. Despite his deeply disturbing first term and following the alerts associated with the knowledge of the rightwing blueprint – following Trump himself declared plainly he intended to be a dictator only on the first day – enough Americans selected him over the other candidate.
Frightening as the present situation are, it's more daunting to understand that we’re only three-quarters of a year into this administration. How will three more years of this decline find us? And what if that timeframe transforms into an prolonged era, since there is not anyone to restrain this ruler from determining that another term is necessary, perhaps for security concerns?
Admittedly, all is not lost. There are congressional elections in 2026 which might create a new political equilibrium, should Democrats regain the Senate or House of the legislature. We have elected officials who are striving to impose some accountability, like Democratic congressmen currently initiating an inquiry into the attempted money grab by federal prosecutors.
And a presidential election three years from now could initiate our journey toward restoration just as the prior selection put us on this unfortunate course.
There are numerous residents protesting in public spaces of their cities, similar to recent recently at democracy demonstrations.
Robert Reich, commented this week that “the dormant powerhouse of America is stirring”, just as it did following the Red Scare in the 1950s or amid the sixties activism or during the Nixon controversy.
During those times, the listing ship ultimately corrected itself.
Reich says he recognizes the signals of that resurgence and sees it happening currently. For proof, he cites the large-scale demonstrations, the extensive, bipartisan pushback regarding a personality's dismissal and the near-unanimous defiance by media to agree to military mandates they report only authorized information.
“The dormant force consistently stays inactive before certain corruption grows too toxic, an specific act so disrespectful toward public welfare, some brutality so noisy, that he is compelled except to rise.”
It’s an optimistic take, and I value the author's seasoned opinion. Perhaps he will be validated.
In the meantime, the major inquiries remain: can America return to normalcy? Is it possible to restore its position internationally and its devotion to the rule of law?
Or must we acknowledge that the national endeavor functioned for a period, and then – abruptly, completely – collapsed?
My cynical mind indicates that the latter is correct; that everything could be gone. My positive feelings, nevertheless, convinces me that we need to strive, in whatever ways we can.
Personally, working in journalism analysis, that’s about encouraging reporters to adhere, more completely, to their purpose of overseeing leadership. For different individuals, it may be participating in political races, or planning demonstrations, or finding ways to safeguard ballot privileges.
Less than a year ago, we existed in an alternate reality. In the future? Or after another term? The truth is, we cannot predict. All we can do is to strive to not give up.
What Provides Me Optimism Currently
The interaction I encounter with students with young journalists, that are simultaneously idealistic and realistic, {always
