🔗 Share this article

In late October 2024, the landscape was entirely different. Ahead of the American presidential vote, considerate residents could acknowledge the country's serious imperfections – its injustices and imbalance – however they could still perceive it as the US. A free society. A country where constitutional order meant something. A state guided by a honorable and ethical public servant, despite his older age and growing weakness.

Currently, in late October 2025, many of us scarcely know the country we live in. Persons alleged as unauthorized foreigners are collected and pushed into vans, sometimes denied due process. The eastern section of the “people’s house” – is being torn down for an obscene event space. The president is harassing his political rivals or perceived antagonists and demanding the justice department hand over a massive sum of citizen dollars. Armed military personnel are deployed to US urban areas on false pretexts. The defense headquarters, relabeled the Defense Ministry, has – in effect – rid itself of routine media oversight as it spends potentially totaling nearly $1tn of taxpayer money. Universities, attorney offices, news companies are buckling under the president’s threats, and wealthy elites are regarded as members of the royal family.

“The United States, just months before its 250^th birthday as the planet's foremost free society, has tipped over the limit toward dictatorship and fascism,” a noted author, stated in August. “In the end, faster than I imagined possible, it did happen in America.”

One awakes amid recent atrocities. It is challenging to understand – and distressing to accept – just how far gone we have become, and the rapid pace with which it occurred.

Yet, it is known that the president was duly elected. Even after his profoundly alarming initial presidency and despite the warnings that came with the awareness of the rightwing blueprint – following Trump himself stated openly he planned to rule as a tyrant solely at the start – sufficient voters chose him instead of Kamala Harris.

Frightening as the present situation are, it's more daunting to understand that we have only been nine months under this leadership. Where will three more years of this downfall leave us? And suppose that timeframe becomes something even longer, since there is nobody to restrain this leader from deciding that another term is essential, perhaps for defense purposes?

Granted, there is still hope. There will be midterm elections in 2026 which might create a new balance of power, if Democrats regain the Senate or House of parliament. We have public servants who are attempting to exert certain responsibility, for example Democratic congressmen currently initiating an inquiry regarding the effort to fund seizure from the justice department.

And a presidential election three years from now could initiate us down the road toward restoration precisely as the previous vote set us on this regrettable path.

We see numerous residents protesting in the streets across municipalities, like they performed in the past days at democracy demonstrations.

Robert Reich, stated lately that “the great sleeping giant of the nation is rising”, similar to past following the Red Scare in the 1950s or during anti-war demonstrations or in the seventies crisis.

During those times, the listing ship eventually was righted.

Reich says he knows the signals of that awakening and notices it unfolding currently. As evidence, he references the large-scale demonstrations, the broad, cross-party resistance to a personality's dismissal and the almost universal rejection by reporters to accept the defense department’s demands they solely cover authorized information.

“The dormant force perpetually exists inactive before some venality grows too toxic, a particular deed so disrespectful toward public welfare, some brutality so disruptive, that the giant is forced except to rise.”

It's a positive outlook, and I respect the author's seasoned opinion. Possibly he may turn out correct.

At the same time, the major inquiries remain: is the US able to ever recover? Can it retrieve its position in the world and its commitment to the rule of law?

Or should we recognize that the national endeavor succeeded temporarily, and then – suddenly, utterly – failed?

My cynical mind indicates that the final scenario is true; that everything could be lost. My positive feelings, nevertheless, advises me that we need to strive, through all methods possible.

For me, working in journalism analysis, that means urging journalists to adhere, more fully, to their mission of holding power to account. For different individuals, it might involve participating in political races, or coordinating protests, or discovering methods to defend voting rights.

Less than a year ago, we existed in a separate situation. A year from now? Or in several years? The reality is, we don’t know. Our sole course is to strive to continue fighting.

What Provides Me Encouragement Today

The engagement I have in the classroom with aspiring reporters, who are both hopeful and realistic, {always