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One year ago, the environment was entirely separate. Before the national election, considerate Americans could recognize the country's significant faults – its injustices and imbalance – but they still could identify it as the US. A democracy. A land where legal governance meant something. A state led by a honorable and ethical public servant, despite his elderly years and increasing frailty.

These days, in late October 2025, countless Americans barely recognize the land we reside in. Individuals alleged as illegal immigrants are detained and pushed into vehicles, sometimes denied due process. The East Wing of the “people’s house” – is being torn down to build a lavish ballroom. Donald Trump is targeting his opponents or supposed enemies and requesting the justice department surrender a massive sum of taxpayer money. Armed military personnel are being sent into American cities with deceptive justifications. The Pentagon, renamed the War Department, has effectively freed itself of day-to-day journalistic scrutiny as it spends what could amount to close to a trillion USD from citizen taxes. Institutions, law firms, news companies are yielding due to presidential intimidation, and billionaires are regarded as members of the royal family.

“The United States, only a few months ahead of its 250-year mark as the globe's top democratic nation, has tipped over the limit into authoritarianism and extremism,” Garrett Graff, stated recently. “In the end, faster than I imagined possible, it transpired here.”

Each day begins to new horrors. And it's difficult to grasp – and agonizing to acknowledge – how severely declined we have become, and the rapid pace with which it unfolded.

Yet, we know that the leader was legitimately chosen. Even after his deeply disturbing previous administration and following the warnings associated with the understanding of the rightwing blueprint – despite Trump himself declared plainly he planned to rule as a tyrant only on the first day – enough Americans elected him instead of his Democratic opponent.

Frightening as the present situation may be, it’s even scarier to recognize that we are just nine months under this leadership. How will another 36 months of this decline position us? And what if the three years becomes a more extended duration, since there is not anyone to restrain this ruler from determining that additional tenure is required, perhaps for national security reasons?

Certainly, not everything is hopeless. We will have legislative votes the coming year that may bring a different balance of power, should Democrats recapture either chamber of parliament. We have elected officials who are attempting to apply certain responsibility, like Democratic congressmen currently initiating an inquiry regarding the effort to cash appropriation by federal prosecutors.

And a leadership election in 2028 could initiate us down the road to recovery just as last year’s election put us on this unfortunate course.

There are countless citizens marching in urban areas of their cities, like they performed in the past days in the No Kings rallies.

An ex-cabinet member, commented this week that “the slumbering force of the nation is stirring”, similar to past post-McCarthyism in the 1950s or throughout the Vietnam war protests or throughout the Watergate scandal.

During those times, the unstable nation finally returned to balance.

Reich says he understands the signs of that awakening and sees it happening at present. For proof, he cites the recent massive protests, the extensive, bipartisan pushback to a television host's removal and the near-unanimous refusal by journalists to accept the defense department’s demands they only publish approved content.

“The dormant force always remains dormant until some venality becomes so noxious, some action so contemptuous toward public welfare, certain violence so disruptive, that he is forced but to awaken.”

It's a positive outlook, and I respect the author's seasoned opinion. Possibly he may prove to be right.

In the meantime, the big questions remain: will the nation ever recover? Is it possible to restore its status in the world and its devotion to constitutional order?

Or must we acknowledge that the national endeavor succeeded temporarily, and then – abruptly, completely – collapsed?

My cynical mind suggests that the final scenario is accurate; that everything could be lost. My optimistic spirit, though, advises me that we have to attempt, in whatever ways possible.

Personally, working in journalism analysis, that involves pushing media professionals to adhere, more completely, to their purpose of holding power to account. For different individuals, it may be engaging with congressional campaigns, or coordinating protests, or discovering methods to safeguard electoral access.

Less than a year ago, we lived in a separate situation. Twelve months later? Or in several years? The fact is, we are uncertain. Our sole course is try to not give up.

What Provides Me Encouragement Today

The interaction I encounter during teaching with new media professionals, that are simultaneously idealistic and realistic, {always