In late October 2024, the landscape was entirely separate. Before the US presidential election, considerate citizens could admit America's deep flaws – its injustices and disparity – yet they could still perceive it as America. A democratic nation. A place where the rule of law held significance. A country guided by a honorable and ethical leader, even with his elderly years and declining health.
Currently, this autumn, countless Americans scarcely know the country we live in. Individuals suspected of being undocumented migrants are collected and pushed into vehicles, sometimes blocked from fair treatment. The eastern section of the “people’s house” – is being destroyed for an obscene dance hall. The president is harassing his opponents or supposed enemies and requesting the justice department hand over a massive sum of taxpayer money. Uniformed troops are dispatched to US urban areas with deceptive justifications. The military command, rebranded the War Department, has practically liberated itself of regular press examination as it spends possibly reaching almost one trillion dollars from citizen taxes. Universities, attorney offices, media outlets are yielding under the president’s threats, and wealthy elites are treated like aristocracy.
“America, only a few months ahead of its 250th birthday as the globe's top democratic nation, has tipped over the limit toward dictatorship and fascism,” Garrett Graff, commented this past summer. “Ultimately, faster than I thought feasible, it transpired in this country.”
One awakes with fresh terrors. And it's hard to comprehend – and distressing to accept – how deeply lost we are, and the speed at which it unfolded.
Nevertheless, it is known that Trump was duly elected. Despite his profoundly alarming previous administration and despite the cautions associated with the awareness of Project 2025 – even after the leader directly stated openly he intended to be a dictator just on day one – enough Americans selected him rather than the other candidate.
While alarming as today's circumstances may be, it's more frightening to understand that we have only been nine months into this administration. How will an additional three years of this decline position us? And what if that period transforms into something even longer, since there is no one to restrain this president from opting that a third term is essential, perhaps for national security reasons?
Granted, not everything is hopeless. We will have legislative votes the coming year that may establish an alternate governmental control, in case Democrats regain either chamber of Congress. There are government representatives who are striving to apply some accountability, for example representatives who are starting a probe concerning the try to fund seizure from the justice department.
And a presidential election three years from now could begin us down the road to healing just as the previous vote set us on this unfortunate course.
There exist millions of Americans marching in public spaces across municipalities, similar to recent last weekend during anti-authority protests.
An ex-cabinet member, commented this week that “the slumbering force of America is awakening”, exactly as before after the Communist witch-hunt era during the fifties or throughout the Vietnam war protests or during the Watergate scandal.
During those times, the listing ship eventually was righted.
He claims he understands the signals of that revival and observes it occurring at present. For proof, he references the widespread marches, the broad, multi-faction opposition against a television host's removal and the near-unanimous rejection by reporters to sign military mandates they only publish what is sanctioned.
“The dormant force perpetually exists asleep until specific greed grows too toxic, an specific act so disrespectful toward public welfare, specific cruelty so loud, that he is forced other than to stir.”
It's a hopeful perspective, and I value the author's seasoned opinion. Possibly he may be validated.
Meanwhile, the big questions endure: can America return to normalcy? Is it possible to restore its standing globally and its devotion to constitutional order?
Or do we need to admit that the 250-year-old experiment worked for a while, and then – abruptly, completely – collapsed?
My negative thoughts suggests that the latter is true; that everything might be finished. My optimistic spirit, however, tells me that we have to attempt, by any means possible.
For me, as an observer of the press, that means encouraging reporters to live up, more completely, to their duty of holding power to account. For some people, it may be engaging with congressional campaigns, or coordinating protests, or discovering methods to safeguard voting rights.
Not even one year prior, we lived in an alternate reality. Twelve months later? Or after another term? The reality is, we cannot predict. All we can do is try to persevere.
What Offers Me Hope Now
The interaction I have in the classroom with new media professionals, who are both visionary and grounded, {always
