A Heartbreaking Shift Only 12 Months Has Made in America
In late October 2024, the landscape was completely distinct. Before the national election, thoughtful Americans could admit the nation's serious imperfections – its injustices and imbalance – yet they still could perceive it as the US. A free society. A country where legal governance held significance. A country headed by a honorable and decent public servant, even with his older age and declining health.
Nowadays, this autumn, many of us hardly identify the nation we inhabit. Individuals suspected of being illegal immigrants are detained and forced into transport, sometimes denied due process. The left side of the “people’s house” – is being torn down to build a lavish dance hall. The leader is harassing his adversaries or perceived antagonists and requesting legal authorities transfer a huge total of public funds. Soldiers with weapons are deployed into American cities under fabricated reasons. The defense headquarters, renamed the Department of War, has practically liberated itself of day-to-day journalistic scrutiny during its expenditure of possibly reaching nearly $1tn in public funds. Institutions, attorney offices, journalism organizations are submitting due to presidential intimidation, and billionaires are treated like nobility.
“The US, shortly prior to its 250th birthday as the planet's foremost free society, has tipped over the limit toward dictatorship and fascism,” an American historian, stated recently. “In the end, more quickly than I believed likely, it did happen in America.”
Each day begins with fresh terrors. And it's hard to comprehend – and painful to realize – how deeply lost we have become, and how quickly it unfolded.
Nevertheless, we know that the president was duly elected. Even after his profoundly alarming initial presidency and despite the alerts linked to the understanding of the rightwing blueprint – following the leader directly stated openly he would be a dictator solely at the start – a majority of citizens selected him instead of his Democratic opponent.
As terrifying as the current reality are, it’s even scarier to realize that we have only been nine months into this presidential term. Where will an additional three years of this decline leave us? And what if that period becomes something even longer, since there is not anyone to limit this president from determining that another term is necessary, possibly for security concerns?
Admittedly, not everything is hopeless. There will be midterm elections the coming year that may establish an alternate governmental control, in case Democrats regain one or both houses of parliament. There are public servants who are trying to exert a degree of oversight, such as Democratic congressmen who are starting a probe regarding the effort to cash appropriation by federal prosecutors.
And a national vote in 2028 could begin us down the road to healing just as last year’s election set us on this disappointing trajectory.
There exist numerous residents protesting in the streets of their cities, as they did recently in the No Kings rallies.
A former official, commented this week that “the great sleeping giant of the US is stirring”, similar to past following the Red Scare during the fifties or amid anti-war demonstrations or throughout the Nixon controversy.
On those occasions, the unstable nation finally returned to balance.
Reich says he understands the signals of that resurgence and observes it occurring currently. As evidence, he references the widespread marches, the broad, cross-party resistance to a personality's dismissal and the almost universal refusal by journalists to accept military mandates they only publish what is sanctioned.
“The sleeping giant consistently stays dormant till certain corruption becomes so noxious, an specific act so disrespectful of the common good, certain violence so disruptive, that it is compelled other than to stir.”
It's a hopeful perspective, and I appreciate his knowledgeable stance. Maybe he’ll turn out correct.
In the meantime, the major inquiries persist: is the US able to ever recover? Can it reclaim its status internationally and its adherence to constitutional order?
Or must we acknowledge that the historical project worked for a while, and then – suddenly, utterly – failed?
My cynical mind suggests that the latter is accurate; that everything might be lost. My optimistic spirit, however, tells me that we have to attempt, through all methods available.
In my case, as a media critic, that involves pushing media professionals to commit, more fully, to their purpose of holding power to account. For different individuals, it could mean participating in election efforts, or organizing rallies, or developing approaches to protect voting rights.
Not even one year prior, we were in an alternate reality. In the future? Or in several years? The fact is, we don’t know. The only option is to strive to not give up.
What Provides Me Hope Now
The interaction I have during teaching with aspiring reporters, that are simultaneously hopeful and practical, {always
