🔗 Share this article

One year ago, the landscape was entirely distinct. Before the national election, reflective residents could admit the nation's serious imperfections – its inequities and imbalance – however they continued to perceive it as America. A democracy. A place where legal governance meant something. A nation headed by a dignified and ethical public servant, despite his elderly years and growing weakness.

Nowadays, in late October 2025, countless Americans barely recognize the land we reside in. Persons suspected of being unauthorized foreigners are detained and pushed into transport, sometimes refused legal rights. The East Wing of the presidential residence – is being destroyed for a grotesque event space. The president is harassing his adversaries or alleged foes and demanding federal prosecutors transfer a huge total of taxpayer money. Soldiers with weapons are deployed into American cities under fabricated reasons. The military command, renamed the War Department, has practically rid itself of routine media oversight while it uses possibly reaching close to a trillion USD in public funds. Colleges, law firms, news companies are yielding from leader's menaces, and wealthy elites are treated like members of the royal family.

“The United States, just months before its 250-year mark as the world’s leading democracy, has fallen over the edge into autocracy and fascism,” a noted author, stated in August. “Finally, more quickly than I thought feasible, it occurred in this country.”

Every morning starts with fresh terrors. And it is difficult to grasp – and agonizing to acknowledge – how severely declined we are, and the rapid pace with which it unfolded.

Nevertheless, it is known that the president was properly voted in. Despite his profoundly alarming first term and even after the alerts that came with the awareness of the conservative plan – despite Trump himself said publicly he would be a dictator just on day one – a majority of citizens selected him over his Democratic opponent.

Frightening as today's circumstances are, it's more frightening to understand that we are just several months under this leadership. What will another 36 months of this deterioration leave us? And what if the three years transforms into an prolonged era, as there is nobody to stop this leader from opting that another term is required, possibly for security concerns?

Granted, not everything is hopeless. There will be congressional elections next year that may establish an alternate governmental control, if Democrats regain the Senate or House of Congress. There are elected officials who are trying to apply certain responsibility, for example Democratic congressmen that are initiating an inquiry regarding the effort to fund seizure by federal prosecutors.

And a presidential election in the next cycle could begin the path toward restoration precisely as last year’s election set us on this disappointing trajectory.

There are millions of Americans protesting in public spaces throughout communities, similar to recent in the past days during anti-authority protests.

A former official, wrote recently that “the great sleeping giant of the nation is stirring”, similar to past post-McCarthyism in that decade or amid the Vietnam war protests or during the Watergate scandal.

During those times, the unstable nation ultimately corrected itself.

The author states he understands the indicators of that revival and observes it occurring at present. For proof, he references the widespread marches, the broad, cross-party resistance against a television host's removal and the near-unanimous refusal by journalists to sign the defense department’s demands they solely cover authorized information.

“The dormant force consistently stays asleep till certain corruption turns extremely harmful, some action so offensive of societal benefit, specific cruelty so noisy, that the giant is compelled other than to stir.”

It's a positive outlook, and I respect his knowledgeable stance. Perhaps he will turn out correct.

At the same time, the crucial issues endure: is the US able to ever recover? Is it possible to restore its position globally and its adherence to legal principles?

Or do we need to admit that the 250-year-old experiment succeeded temporarily, and then – abruptly, completely – collapsed?

My negative thoughts indicates that the second option is accurate; that everything might be gone. My optimistic spirit, though, tells me that we must try, by any means possible.

Personally, as an observer of the press, that involves urging journalists to commit, more thoroughly, to their purpose of overseeing leadership. For different individuals, it might involve working on congressional campaigns, or organizing rallies, or finding ways to defend voting rights.

Not even one year prior, we existed in a very different place. In the future? Or three years from now? The fact is, we cannot predict. Our sole course is try to persevere.

What Provides Me Optimism Currently

The contact I experience during teaching with new media professionals, that are simultaneously visionary and realistic, {always