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One year ago, the situation was entirely separate. Ahead of the US presidential election, reflective Americans could recognize the nation's deep flaws – its injustices and disparity – but they could still perceive it as the United States. A free society. A country where constitutional order held significance. A state led by a dignified and ethical official, despite his advanced age and growing weakness.

Currently, as October 2025 ends, many of us hardly identify the nation we live in. People believed to be unauthorized foreigners are detained and forced into vehicles, at times denied due process. The eastern section of the presidential residence – is undergoing demolition to build a lavish dance hall. Donald Trump is targeting his political rivals or alleged foes and demanding the justice department surrender a huge total of taxpayer money. Armed military personnel are being sent across metropolitan centers with deceptive justifications. The Pentagon, relabeled the Department of War, has – in effect – freed itself of routine media oversight as it spends what could amount to close to a trillion USD from citizen taxes. Universities, attorney offices, news companies are buckling from leader's menaces, and wealthy elites are regarded as members of the royal family.

“America, only a few months ahead of its quarter-millennium anniversary as the globe's top democratic nation, has tipped over the limit into autocracy and fascism,” a noted author, commented in August. “Finally, faster than I imagined possible, it occurred in America.”

Each day begins amid recent atrocities. And it is challenging to understand – and painful to realize – just how far gone we have become, and the rapid pace with which it unfolded.

However, we know that the leader was duly elected. Following his profoundly alarming previous administration and following the alerts that came with the awareness of Project 2025 – even after the leader directly stated openly he planned to be a dictator just on day one – a majority of citizens selected him rather than Kamala Harris.

As terrifying as the present situation may be, it’s even scarier to understand that we’re only several months into this presidential term. How will an additional three years of this downfall find us? And suppose that period turns into an prolonged era, since there is nobody to stop this leader from deciding that a third term is essential, perhaps for defense purposes?

Granted, not everything is hopeless. There will be congressional elections in 2026 which might bring a different governmental control, should Democrats recapture the Senate or House of the legislature. There exist elected officials who are striving to exert some accountability, for example representatives currently initiating an inquiry concerning the try to cash appropriation by federal prosecutors.

And a leadership election in the next cycle could begin our journey toward restoration precisely as last year’s election put us on this disappointing trajectory.

There exist countless citizens marching in the streets across municipalities, like they performed last weekend in the No Kings rallies.

A former official, commented this week that “the great sleeping giant of America is rising”, exactly as before post-McCarthyism during the fifties or amid the Vietnam war protests or in the seventies crisis.

During those times, the listing ship ultimately corrected itself.

He claims he recognizes the signals of that revival and notices it unfolding now. As support, he references the widespread marches, the extensive, cross-party resistance regarding a broadcaster's firing and the largely united rejection by reporters to accept military mandates they solely cover what is sanctioned.

“The sleeping giant always remains inactive before specific greed becomes so noxious, an specific act so disrespectful of societal benefit, specific cruelty so noisy, that it is forced other than to stir.”

It's a positive outlook, and I appreciate the author's seasoned opinion. Possibly he may be validated.

At the same time, the major inquiries remain: is the US able to ever recover? Can it retrieve its standing internationally and its devotion to the rule of law?

Or should we recognize that the 250-year-old experiment worked for a while, and then – abruptly, completely – collapsed?

My negative thoughts indicates that the latter is true; that everything could be finished. My hopeful heart, nevertheless, advises me that we have to attempt, by any means available.

For me, working in journalism analysis, that involves encouraging reporters to commit, more thoroughly, to their duty of overseeing leadership. For some people, it might involve working on election efforts, or organizing rallies, or discovering methods to safeguard voting rights.

Not even one year prior, we lived in a separate situation. In the future? Or three years from now? The truth is, we are uncertain. The only option is to strive to not give up.

What Offers Me Hope Now

The interaction I have in the classroom with new media professionals, who are both hopeful and grounded, {always