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Twelve months back, the environment was entirely separate. Prior to the US presidential election, considerate residents could recognize America's deep flaws – its unfairness and imbalance – yet they still could see it as America. A democratic nation. A land where the rule of law meant something. A state guided by a honorable and ethical leader, despite his advanced age and increasing frailty.

Currently, as October 2025 ends, numerous citizens barely recognize the country we inhabit. Individuals suspected of being undocumented migrants are rounded up and forced into transport, at times blocked from fair treatment. The East Wing of the “people’s house” – is being destroyed to build a lavish ballroom. The leader is persecuting his adversaries or supposed enemies and demanding the justice department transfer a huge total of taxpayer money. Armed military personnel are deployed into American cities on false pretexts. The defense headquarters, relabeled the Defense Ministry, has practically freed itself of regular press examination while it uses what could amount to close to a trillion USD of taxpayer money. Institutions, attorney offices, news companies are yielding from leader's menaces, and wealthy elites are handled as nobility.

“America, shortly prior to its quarter-millennium anniversary as the globe's top democratic nation, has crossed the edge into autocracy and extremism,” a noted author, wrote this past summer. “Finally, faster than I believed likely, it did happen in this country.”

Every morning starts to new horrors. And it's difficult to grasp – and agonizing to acknowledge – just how far gone our nation is, and how quickly it unfolded.

However, it is known that the president was legitimately chosen. Despite his deeply disturbing previous administration and following the warnings linked to the knowledge of Project 2025 – despite Trump himself said publicly he planned to act as an autocrat solely at the start – sufficient voters chose him over Kamala Harris.

Frightening as today's circumstances may be, it’s even scarier to realize that we have only been several months into this administration. Where will an additional three years of this downfall find us? And suppose that timeframe turns into a more extended duration, since there is no one to restrain this ruler from deciding that a third term is essential, perhaps for national security reasons?

Admittedly, there is still hope. We will have midterm elections in 2026 which might establish an alternate balance of power, if Democrats recapture either chamber of Congress. There are elected officials who are trying to impose some accountability, such as lawmakers that are starting a probe concerning the try to fund seizure from legal authorities.

And a presidential election in the next cycle could begin our journey to recovery precisely as last year’s election placed us on this unfortunate course.

We see numerous residents protesting in the streets throughout communities, similar to recent last weekend during anti-authority protests.

An ex-cabinet member, wrote recently that “the great sleeping giant of the US is awakening”, similar to past post-McCarthyism in that decade or amid the Vietnam war protests or during the Nixon controversy.

In those instances, the tilting vessel finally returned to balance.

He claims he knows the signals of that awakening and sees it happening now. As evidence, he points to the large-scale demonstrations, the widespread, cross-party resistance regarding a personality's dismissal and the near-unanimous defiance by media to accept the defense department’s demands they only publish authorized information.

“The sleeping giant always remains asleep till specific greed turns extremely harmful, an specific act so contemptuous of the common good, some brutality so noisy, that it is forced other than to stir.”

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

Meanwhile, the big questions endure: can America return to normalcy? Is it possible to restore its standing globally and its adherence to the rule of law?

Or do we need to admit that the historical project succeeded temporarily, and then – abruptly, completely – collapsed?

My cynical mind suggests that the second option is correct; that all may indeed be lost. My hopeful heart, though, convinces me that we have to attempt, through all methods we can.

Personally, as an observer of the press, that’s about pushing media professionals to adhere, more thoroughly, to their mission of overseeing leadership. For some people, it could mean participating in election efforts, or planning demonstrations, or discovering methods to safeguard voting rights.

Not even one year prior, we existed in a very different place. A year from now? Or after another term? The truth is, we don’t know. All we can do is to attempt to not give up.

What Offers Me Encouragement Today

The engagement I encounter during teaching with aspiring reporters, who are equally hopeful and practical, {always