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One year ago, the landscape was completely separate. Ahead of the national election, thoughtful residents could acknowledge the nation's deep flaws – its inequities and imbalance – however they could still identify it as the United States. A democratic nation. A country where constitutional order meant something. A state led by a dignified and ethical leader, even with his advanced age and growing weakness.

Currently, in late October 2025, countless Americans barely recognize the land we reside in. People believed to be unauthorized foreigners are collected and forced into transport, at times refused legal rights. The left side of the presidential residence – is being destroyed for a grotesque dance hall. The leader is persecuting his opponents or perceived antagonists and insisting legal authorities transfer a massive sum of public funds. Uniformed troops are being sent across metropolitan centers on false pretexts. The Pentagon, relabeled the Defense Ministry, has practically rid itself of day-to-day journalistic scrutiny during its expenditure of what could amount to nearly $1tn in public funds. Colleges, law firms, news companies are yielding under the president’s threats, and rich magnates are handled as members of the royal family.

“The US, just months before its quarter-millennium anniversary as the globe's top democratic nation, has tipped over the brink toward dictatorship and extremism,” Garrett Graff, wrote in August. “Ultimately, faster than I imagined possible, it transpired in America.”

Every morning starts to new horrors. And it is difficult to grasp – and distressing to accept – how deeply lost we are, and the rapid pace with which it has happened.

Nevertheless, we understand that the leader was legitimately chosen. Even after his profoundly alarming initial presidency and despite the warnings associated with the awareness of Project 2025 – despite Trump himself stated openly he planned to rule as a tyrant just on day one – enough Americans elected him instead of his Democratic opponent.

Frightening as the present situation are, it’s even scarier to understand that we have only been three-quarters of a year into this administration. What will another 36 months of this decline position us? And what if the three years turns into an prolonged era, since there is no one to stop this leader from opting that additional tenure is essential, maybe for security concerns?

Admittedly, there is still hope. We will have midterm elections the coming year that could establish an alternate political equilibrium, if Democrats regain the Senate or House of Congress. We have government representatives who are attempting to impose a degree of oversight, for example lawmakers that are starting a probe regarding the effort to money grab by federal prosecutors.

And a presidential election in 2028 could start us down the road to healing exactly as the prior selection put us on this disappointing trajectory.

There exist countless citizens demonstrating in the streets of their cities, as they did recently in the No Kings rallies.

An ex-cabinet member, stated lately that “the great sleeping giant of the nation is rising”, just as it did after the Communist witch-hunt era during the fifties or during the Vietnam war protests or during the seventies crisis.

On those occasions, the listing ship ultimately corrected itself.

The author states he understands the indicators of that revival and sees it happening at present. For proof, he references the large-scale demonstrations, the extensive, multi-faction opposition regarding a broadcaster's firing and the near-unanimous rejection by reporters to agree to the defense department’s demands they report only approved content.

“The slumbering entity always remains inactive till specific greed becomes so noxious, a particular deed so contemptuous of the common good, certain violence so disruptive, that he is compelled other than to stir.”

It's a hopeful perspective, and I value the author's seasoned opinion. Maybe he’ll turn out correct.

Meanwhile, the major inquiries remain: will the nation ever recover? Can it retrieve its status globally and its commitment to legal principles?

Or must we acknowledge that the 250-year-old experiment succeeded temporarily, and then – swiftly, totally – ended?

My negative thoughts indicates that the final scenario is accurate; that everything might be finished. My optimistic spirit, however, tells me that we must try, through all methods available.

Personally, working in journalism analysis, that means encouraging reporters to adhere, more completely, to their purpose of holding power to account. For different individuals, it might involve working on congressional campaigns, or coordinating protests, or finding ways to protect voting rights.

Not even one year prior, we lived in an alternate reality. Twelve months later? Or after another term? The fact is, we don’t know. The only option is to strive to continue fighting.

What Provides Me Encouragement Today

The interaction I have during teaching with new media professionals, who are both visionary and grounded, {always