🔗 Share this article

In late October 2024, the environment was completely distinct. Before the national election, thoughtful Americans could acknowledge the nation's serious imperfections – its unfairness and inequality – but they could still see it as the United States. A democracy. A country where the rule of law held significance. A nation led by a respectable and decent public servant, notwithstanding his older age and growing weakness.

Nowadays, as October 2025 ends, many of us scarcely know the nation we inhabit. Persons suspected of being undocumented migrants are collected and shoved into vans, occasionally refused legal rights. The eastern section of the “people’s house” – is undergoing demolition for an obscene dance hall. Donald Trump is harassing his political rivals or supposed enemies and insisting federal prosecutors hand over a huge total of citizen dollars. Armed military personnel are being sent to US urban areas under fabricated reasons. The defense headquarters, rebranded the Defense Ministry, has – in effect – liberated itself of regular press examination during its expenditure of possibly reaching close to a trillion USD of taxpayer money. Institutions, legal practices, news companies are yielding due to presidential intimidation, and wealthy elites are handled as aristocracy.

“The US, just months before its 250^th birthday as the world’s leading democracy, has fallen over the brink into authoritarianism and fascism,” an American historian, commented recently. “Finally, more quickly than I imagined possible, it occurred in this country.”

Each day begins amid recent atrocities. It is hard to comprehend – and distressing to accept – just how far gone we have become, and the rapid pace with which it unfolded.

Yet, we understand that Trump was legitimately chosen. Even after his profoundly alarming initial presidency and following the warnings linked to the understanding of Project 2025 – following the leader directly declared plainly he intended to act as an autocrat just on day one – a majority of citizens elected him rather than his Democratic opponent.

Frightening as today's circumstances are, it's more daunting to recognize that we are just three-quarters of a year into this presidential term. What will three more years of this deterioration position us? And if that period becomes something even longer, as there is not anyone to stop this president from determining that a third term is necessary, perhaps for defense purposes?

Granted, there is still hope. There are legislative votes next year which might establish an alternate political equilibrium, in case Democrats recapture the Senate or House of Congress. There are public servants who are trying to apply a degree of oversight, like lawmakers currently launching an investigation regarding the effort to money grab from the justice department.

And a leadership election three years from now could initiate our journey to recovery precisely as last year’s election placed us on this disappointing trajectory.

We see countless citizens marching in the streets throughout communities, similar to recent last weekend in the No Kings rallies.

A former official, commented this week that “the slumbering force of America is stirring”, just as it did following the Red Scare in that decade or amid the Vietnam war protests or in the seventies crisis.

In those instances, the listing ship finally returned to balance.

He claims he recognizes the signs of that awakening and observes it occurring now. As evidence, he references the widespread marches, the extensive, bipartisan pushback to a personality's dismissal and the near-unanimous defiance by media to sign the defense department’s demands they only publish what is sanctioned.

“The sleeping giant always remains dormant until certain corruption grows too toxic, some action so offensive toward public welfare, specific cruelty so disruptive, that it is forced other than to stir.”

It’s an optimistic take, and I appreciate his knowledgeable stance. Perhaps he will turn out correct.

At the same time, the big questions remain: is the US able to ever recover? Can it reclaim its position globally and its adherence to legal principles?

Or must we acknowledge that the 250-year-old experiment succeeded temporarily, and then – abruptly, completely – collapsed?

My cynical mind suggests that the latter is accurate; that everything could be finished. My hopeful heart, nevertheless, tells me that we must try, by any means we can.

For me, working in journalism analysis, that involves urging journalists to commit, more fully, to their mission of holding power to account. For others, it might involve engaging with election efforts, or planning demonstrations, or discovering methods to protect electoral access.

Not even one year prior, we were in a separate situation. In the future? Or after another term? The reality is, we are uncertain. All we can do is to attempt to persevere.

What Offers Me Optimism Currently

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