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Twelve months back, the landscape was entirely separate. Ahead of the US presidential election, thoughtful Americans could admit the nation's deep flaws – its unfairness and disparity – however they still could see it as the US. A democracy. A country where constitutional order meant something. A state headed by a dignified and ethical public servant, despite his advanced age and growing weakness.

Currently, in late October 2025, countless Americans barely recognize the land we live in. Individuals believed to be illegal immigrants are rounded up and pushed into vehicles, at times blocked from fair treatment. The eastern section of the presidential residence – is being torn down to build a lavish dance hall. The leader is targeting his political rivals or perceived antagonists and insisting the justice department surrender an enormous amount of taxpayer money. Armed military personnel are dispatched into American cities under fabricated reasons. The defense headquarters, relabeled the Defense Ministry, has – in effect – freed itself of day-to-day journalistic scrutiny during its expenditure of potentially totaling close to a trillion USD from citizen taxes. Universities, attorney offices, news companies are yielding due to presidential intimidation, and billionaires are regarded as nobility.

“The United States, just months before its quarter-millennium anniversary as the planet's foremost free society, has crossed the edge toward dictatorship and extremism,” a noted author, commented this past summer. “Ultimately, more quickly than I believed likely, it occurred here.”

Each day begins amid recent atrocities. And it's challenging to understand – and painful to realize – just how far gone our nation is, and the speed at which it unfolded.

Yet, we understand that Trump was properly voted in. Following his highly troubling initial presidency and following the alerts that came with the awareness of the conservative plan – despite the leader directly stated openly he intended to rule as a tyrant only on the first day – sufficient voters elected him over Kamala Harris.

As terrifying as today's circumstances is, it's more daunting to recognize that we have only been several months under this leadership. How will an additional three years of this downfall leave us? And what if the three years becomes something even longer, since there is no one to stop this president from determining that additional tenure is necessary, maybe for national security reasons?

Granted, there is still hope. There will be midterm elections next year that may create a new balance of power, in case Democrats recapture one or both houses of the legislature. We have public servants who are striving to exert some accountability, such as lawmakers currently starting a probe into the attempted fund seizure by federal prosecutors.

And a presidential election in 2028 could begin our journey toward restoration precisely as the previous vote placed us on this regrettable path.

We see millions of Americans protesting in urban areas throughout communities, like they performed last weekend at democracy demonstrations.

Robert Reich, commented this week that “the slumbering force of the nation is stirring”, exactly as before after the Communist witch-hunt era in the 1950s or amid anti-war demonstrations or during the Nixon controversy.

In those instances, the unstable nation eventually was righted.

He claims he recognizes the indicators of that resurgence and observes it occurring now. For proof, he cites the large-scale demonstrations, the widespread, bipartisan pushback regarding a broadcaster's firing and the almost universal defiance by media to sign military mandates they solely cover what is sanctioned.

“The dormant force consistently stays inactive until specific greed grows too toxic, an specific act so disrespectful of societal benefit, some brutality so noisy, that he is forced other than to stir.”

It's a positive outlook, and I appreciate Reich’s experienced view. Maybe he’ll be validated.

At the same time, the major inquiries remain: is the US able to return to normalcy? Can it retrieve its position internationally and its adherence to constitutional order?

Or do we need to admit that the national endeavor succeeded temporarily, and then – swiftly, totally – ended?

My negative thoughts indicates that the second option is correct; that all may indeed be gone. My optimistic spirit, though, tells me that we must try, in whatever ways we can.

In my case, as a media critic, that means encouraging reporters to live up, more fully, to their mission of scrutinizing authority. For others, it could mean working on congressional campaigns, or planning demonstrations, or discovering methods to protect electoral access.

Not even one year prior, we were in a very different place. In the future? Or after another term? The reality is, we are uncertain. All we can do is try to not give up.

What Offers Me Optimism Currently

The contact I experience during teaching with young journalists, who are equally idealistic and grounded, {always