A Heartbreaking Transformation Just One Year Has Made in the US
One year ago, the landscape was entirely separate. Prior to the American presidential vote, considerate residents could admit America's deep flaws – its injustices and inequality – however they continued to perceive it as the United States. A democracy. A place where constitutional order carried weight. A country headed by a honorable and decent public servant, despite his advanced age and declining health.
Nowadays, in late October 2025, many of us barely recognize the nation we inhabit. People alleged as undocumented migrants are rounded up and pushed into vehicles, occasionally refused legal rights. The East Wing of the White House – is undergoing demolition for an obscene dance hall. Donald Trump is targeting his opponents or perceived antagonists and demanding the justice department surrender an enormous amount of public funds. Uniformed troops are being sent into American cities on false pretexts. The Pentagon, renamed the Defense Ministry, has effectively freed itself of regular press examination during its expenditure of possibly reaching nearly $1tn in public funds. Universities, attorney offices, news companies are yielding under the president’s threats, and rich magnates are treated like nobility.
“The United States, only a few months ahead of its 250th birthday as the globe's top democratic nation, has crossed the edge into autocracy and extremism,” an American historian, stated in August. “In the end, swifter than I thought feasible, it occurred in this country.”
Each day begins to new horrors. And it's difficult to grasp – and distressing to accept – how deeply lost our nation is, and the rapid pace with which it occurred.
However, it is known that the leader was duly elected. Despite his highly troubling previous administration and even after the warnings linked to the understanding of the conservative plan – despite the president personally said publicly he would be a dictator just on day one – sufficient voters elected him instead of the other candidate.
Frightening as the current reality may be, it's more frightening to recognize that we’re only several months into this administration. How will another 36 months of this decline find us? And suppose that period becomes an prolonged era, since there is nobody to limit this leader from opting that another term is essential, perhaps for security concerns?
Admittedly, all is not lost. There are midterm elections in 2026 that may bring a different balance of power, should Democrats regain one or both houses of Congress. There exist government representatives who are trying to impose some accountability, for example lawmakers that are launching an investigation into the attempted cash appropriation from the justice department.
And a national vote three years from now could begin the path to healing precisely as the previous vote put us on this disappointing trajectory.
There are millions of Americans demonstrating in the streets throughout communities, as they did last weekend at democracy demonstrations.
Robert Reich, stated lately that “the slumbering force of the nation is rising”, similar to past after the Communist witch-hunt era in the 1950s or throughout anti-war demonstrations or throughout the Watergate scandal.
In those instances, the unstable nation ultimately corrected itself.
He claims he understands the indicators of that awakening and sees it happening currently. As support, he cites the recent massive protests, the extensive, bipartisan pushback against a television host's removal and the near-unanimous defiance by media to agree to military mandates they solely cover authorized information.
“The slumbering entity always remains inactive till certain corruption becomes so noxious, a particular deed so offensive of the common good, specific cruelty so disruptive, that the giant is compelled except to rise.”
It's a positive outlook, and I respect Reich’s experienced view. Maybe he’ll prove to be right.
At the same time, the major inquiries persist: can America return to normalcy? Can it retrieve its standing in the world and its devotion to constitutional order?
Or should we recognize that the historical project worked for a while, and then – swiftly, totally – ended?
My cynical mind tells me that the latter is correct; that everything might be lost. My optimistic spirit, nevertheless, advises me that we must try, by any means we can.
In my case, as an observer of the press, that’s about urging journalists to commit, more fully, to their duty of scrutinizing authority. For others, it could mean engaging with political races, or coordinating protests, or discovering methods to protect ballot privileges.
Not even one year prior, we lived in a separate situation. In the future? Or after another term? The fact is, we are uncertain. The only option is to attempt to not give up.
What Provides Me Hope Now
The interaction I have with students with new media professionals, who are equally idealistic and grounded, {always
