The Heartbreaking Change a Single Year Has Made in the US

In late October 2024, the environment was utterly different. Prior to the American presidential vote, reflective residents could acknowledge America's deep flaws – its inequities and disparity – but they continued to see it as the United States. A democratic nation. A place where the rule of law carried weight. A nation guided by a dignified and decent leader, even with his advanced age and declining health.

Nowadays, this autumn, many of us barely recognize the nation we inhabit. People believed to be illegal immigrants are rounded up and forced into vans, occasionally denied due process. The East Wing of the White House – is being torn down for a grotesque event space. The leader is persecuting his political rivals or alleged foes and demanding federal prosecutors transfer an enormous amount of public funds. Armed military personnel are being sent into American cities with deceptive justifications. The Pentagon, relabeled the Department of War, has – in effect – rid itself of day-to-day journalistic scrutiny as it spends potentially totaling close to a trillion USD of taxpayer money. Universities, attorney offices, news companies are yielding due to presidential intimidation, and rich magnates are regarded as nobility.

“The United States, only a few months ahead of its 250^th birthday as the world’s leading democracy, has fallen over the brink into authoritarianism and totalitarianism,” an American historian, commented recently. “Ultimately, more quickly than I imagined possible, it did happen here.”

Every morning starts to new horrors. And it is hard to comprehend – and painful to realize – how severely declined our nation is, and the speed at which it unfolded.

Yet, we know that the leader was properly voted in. Even after his deeply disturbing initial presidency and following the warnings that came with the understanding of the rightwing blueprint – despite Trump himself said publicly he intended to be a dictator solely at the start – enough Americans selected him instead of his Democratic opponent.

As terrifying as the present situation are, it's more frightening to recognize that we are just three-quarters of a year under this leadership. Where will another 36 months of this downfall leave us? And if that timeframe turns into something even longer, as there is nobody to restrain this ruler from determining that additional tenure is required, possibly for national security reasons?

Admittedly, there is still hope. There are congressional elections the coming year which might bring a different balance of power, should Democrats retake one or both houses of the legislature. We have elected officials who are striving to apply certain responsibility, such as lawmakers currently starting a probe into the attempted cash appropriation from legal authorities.

And a national vote in the next cycle could start the path toward restoration just as the prior selection put us on this regrettable path.

We see countless citizens demonstrating in public spaces across municipalities, similar to recent last weekend at democracy demonstrations.

A former official, wrote recently that “the great sleeping giant of America is awakening”, similar to past following the Red Scare during the fifties or during anti-war demonstrations or in the Nixon controversy.

In those instances, the tilting vessel finally returned to balance.

He claims he knows the signs of that revival and notices it unfolding currently. For proof, he cites the large-scale demonstrations, the widespread, multi-faction opposition against a television host's removal and the near-unanimous rejection by reporters to sign the defense department’s demands they solely cover authorized information.

“The dormant force consistently stays asleep before specific greed grows too toxic, an specific act so offensive of societal benefit, specific cruelty so disruptive, that it is forced but to awaken.”

It's a hopeful perspective, and I appreciate his knowledgeable stance. Maybe he’ll turn out correct.

At the same time, the major inquiries endure: can America return to normalcy? Is it possible to restore its status internationally and its adherence to legal principles?

Or should we recognize that the 250-year-old experiment worked for a while, and then – suddenly, utterly – failed?

My negative thoughts indicates that the second option is accurate; that everything might be gone. My optimistic spirit, though, tells me that we have to attempt, through all methods available.

Personally, working in journalism analysis, that’s about encouraging reporters to live up, more thoroughly, to their purpose of holding power to account. For different individuals, it could mean working on election efforts, or organizing rallies, or finding ways to defend electoral access.

Under twelve months back, we existed in a very different place. A year from now? Or after another term? The reality is, we don’t know. All we can do is to strive to not give up.

What’s Giving Me Optimism Currently

The contact I encounter during teaching with aspiring reporters, who are both hopeful and realistic, {always