Longtime US Correspondent Leaves America, Citing Erosion of the American Dream
A DER SPIEGEL correspondent of over 30 years announces his departure from the United States, saying the country he thought he knew no longer exists and that his vision of America was an illusion.
A veteran foreign correspondent who spent more than three decades reporting from the United States has announced he is leaving the country, saying the nation he believed he knew no longer exists. In a personal reflection, the journalist describes his departure as the end of a long chapter and the collapse of what he now calls an illusion.
The correspondent, who worked for the German news magazine DER SPIEGEL, said his decision came after observing profound changes in American society over his 30-plus years in the country. The America he once understood, he writes, has been replaced by something unfamiliar. His account does not focus on a single political event or policy shift, but rather on a broader sense that the country's defining promise — the American Dream — has eroded for many who live there.
That promise, historically understood as the idea that hard work and determination can lead to a better life regardless of one's origins, has long drawn immigrants, students, and professionals from around the world. The correspondent's testimony suggests that for him, and perhaps for others, that promise no longer holds the same weight. The country he describes is not merely changing, but becoming unknown — a place where the old certainties have given way to something harder to define.
The departure of a long-serving correspondent is notable not only as a personal milestone but also as a signal of how some longtime observers of the United States are reassessing their relationship with the country. Journalists who spend decades in a foreign capital often develop deep ties and a nuanced understanding of its culture and politics. When one of them chooses to leave, it can reflect a wider shift in how the country is perceived abroad.
While the correspondent does not offer a detailed political analysis in the available text, his words point to a sense of disillusionment that goes beyond any single administration or election. The erosion he describes appears to be cultural and social as much as political — a fading of the shared narrative that once made the United States a beacon for many. The America that existed in his imagination, and perhaps in the imaginations of many others, has been replaced by a reality that feels foreign.
For readers in Germany and across Europe, the account raises questions about the reliability of long-held assumptions regarding American society. The United States has long been a reference point in debates about democracy, opportunity, and national identity. If a seasoned observer now finds the country unrecognizable, it invites reflection on how much of that image was ever accurate — and what comes next.
The correspondent's decision to leave is not framed as a rejection of the American people, but as an acknowledgment that the country he once knew has slipped away. His departure marks the end of a personal era, and it leaves open the question of what will replace the illusion he says he has lost. The answer, for now, remains as uncertain as the future he describes.
5
