Twelve months back, the landscape was entirely separate. Before the American presidential vote, reflective Americans could admit the country's serious imperfections – its unfairness and disparity – however they still could identify it as the US. A free society. A land where legal governance meant something. A state led by a honorable and upright official, despite his elderly years and increasing frailty.
Currently, this autumn, many of us scarcely know the nation we inhabit. Individuals believed to be illegal immigrants are collected and forced into vehicles, occasionally blocked from fair treatment. The left side of the “people’s house” – is undergoing demolition for an obscene dance hall. The president is persecuting his political rivals or perceived antagonists and demanding legal authorities surrender a huge total of public funds. Soldiers with weapons are being sent across metropolitan centers under fabricated reasons. The defense headquarters, relabeled the Department of War, has practically freed itself of routine media oversight while it uses potentially totaling nearly $1tn of taxpayer money. Universities, legal practices, media outlets are yielding under the president’s threats, and billionaires are treated like aristocracy.
“The United States, shortly prior to its 250-year mark as the planet's foremost free society, has fallen over the edge into autocracy and totalitarianism,” Garrett Graff, stated in August. “Ultimately, faster than I believed likely, it did happen in this country.”
One awakes amid recent atrocities. It is difficult to grasp – and agonizing to acknowledge – how severely declined we have become, and the rapid pace with which it occurred.
Nevertheless, we know that Trump was duly elected. Following his deeply disturbing initial presidency and following the alerts associated with the understanding of the conservative plan – despite the leader directly stated openly he would act as an autocrat only on the first day – a majority of citizens selected him over Kamala Harris.
As terrifying as the current reality is, it's more daunting to realize that we are just three-quarters of a year into this presidential term. What will another 36 months of this decline leave us? And suppose the three years transforms into an prolonged era, since there is nobody to restrain this president from deciding that additional tenure is required, possibly for defense purposes?
Certainly, not everything is hopeless. We will have congressional elections next year that may create a new governmental control, in case Democrats retake the Senate or House of the legislature. There exist government representatives who are attempting to impose some accountability, such as lawmakers that are launching an investigation regarding the effort to money grab by federal prosecutors.
And a presidential election three years from now could begin the path to healing just as the previous vote placed us on this disappointing trajectory.
There are countless citizens demonstrating in public spaces of their cities, as they did in the past days in the No Kings rallies.
Robert Reich, commented this week that “the slumbering force of America is rising”, just as it did following the Red Scare in the 1950s or during the Vietnam war protests or in the Watergate scandal.
In those instances, the tilting vessel ultimately corrected itself.
Reich says he understands the signals of that awakening and notices it unfolding now. As evidence, he cites the large-scale demonstrations, the widespread, multi-faction opposition regarding a broadcaster's firing and the near-unanimous refusal by journalists to accept the defense department’s demands they report only authorized information.
“The sleeping giant always remains inactive until certain corruption grows too toxic, an specific act so offensive toward public welfare, some brutality so disruptive, that the giant is compelled but to awaken.”
It's a positive outlook, and I appreciate Reich’s experienced view. Perhaps he will turn out correct.
At the same time, the big questions endure: will the nation return to normalcy? Can it reclaim its position in the world and its adherence to the rule of law?
Or must we acknowledge that the national endeavor worked for a while, and then – abruptly, completely – collapsed?
My cynical mind tells me that the second option is correct; that all may indeed be gone. My hopeful heart, nevertheless, tells me that we have to attempt, by any means available.
In my case, as an observer of the press, that’s about urging journalists to live up, more thoroughly, to their purpose of holding power to account. For different individuals, it could mean engaging with political races, or organizing rallies, or discovering methods to protect voting rights.
Under twelve months back, we were in a very different place. A year from now? Or three years from now? The fact is, we don’t know. All we can do is try to continue fighting.
What’s Giving Me Hope Now
The contact I encounter in the classroom with aspiring reporters, that are simultaneously idealistic and practical, {always
