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Twelve months back, the landscape was utterly distinct. Before the American presidential vote, reflective residents could recognize the nation's significant faults – its injustices and imbalance – but they still could see it as the United States. A democratic nation. A country where legal governance held significance. A country guided by a respectable and upright leader, despite his elderly years and increasing frailty.

Currently, as October 2025 ends, numerous citizens scarcely know the land we reside in. Persons alleged as unauthorized foreigners are collected and forced into vans, at times blocked from fair treatment. The eastern section of the White House – is being destroyed for a grotesque event space. The leader is harassing his political rivals or alleged foes and insisting federal prosecutors hand over a massive sum of taxpayer money. Soldiers with weapons are deployed into American cities on false pretexts. The military command, relabeled the Department of War, has practically rid itself of routine media oversight during its expenditure of possibly reaching nearly $1tn in public funds. Colleges, legal practices, journalism organizations are buckling under the president’s threats, and rich magnates are handled as aristocracy.

“The United States, just months before its 250-year mark as the planet's foremost free society, has tipped over the brink into autocracy and extremism,” an American historian, wrote in August. “Finally, faster than I believed likely, it transpired here.”

Each day begins with fresh terrors. It is hard to comprehend – and painful to realize – just how far gone our nation is, and the rapid pace with which it has happened.

Yet, we understand that Trump was legitimately chosen. Even after his deeply disturbing previous administration and despite the cautions linked to the awareness of Project 2025 – despite the president personally declared plainly he would be a dictator solely at the start – sufficient voters selected him over Kamala Harris.

Frightening as the current reality may be, it's more frightening to understand that we’re only nine months into this administration. What will an additional three years of this deterioration leave us? And if that timeframe transforms into an prolonged era, because there is nobody to stop this leader from determining that a third term is required, maybe for national security reasons?

Granted, there is still hope. We will have midterm elections in 2026 that could bring a different balance of power, if Democrats regain the Senate or House of the legislature. There exist government representatives who are trying to exert some accountability, for example representatives who are initiating an inquiry regarding the effort to fund seizure from the justice department.

And a leadership election in the next cycle could start our journey to recovery precisely as last year’s election set us on this regrettable path.

There are millions of Americans demonstrating in public spaces across municipalities, like they performed last weekend in the No Kings rallies.

A former official, stated lately that “the great sleeping giant of America is stirring”, exactly as before post-McCarthyism during the fifties or amid the Vietnam war protests or in 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 now. For proof, he cites the large-scale demonstrations, the broad, multi-faction opposition to a broadcaster's firing and the almost universal rejection by reporters to agree to military mandates they report only what is sanctioned.

“The sleeping giant always remains inactive till specific greed becomes so noxious, a particular deed so offensive toward public welfare, some brutality so disruptive, that it is forced other than to stir.”

It's a positive outlook, and I respect Reich’s experienced view. Possibly he may prove to be right.

In the meantime, the big questions remain: will the nation ever recover? Can it reclaim its standing internationally and its devotion to constitutional order?

Or do we need to admit that the national endeavor worked for a while, and then – abruptly, completely – collapsed?

My cynical mind indicates that the final scenario is true; that everything could be gone. My hopeful heart, though, tells me that we must try, through all methods available.

Personally, as an observer of the press, that’s about urging journalists to commit, more fully, to their mission of scrutinizing authority. For different individuals, it may be working on congressional campaigns, or planning demonstrations, or developing approaches to defend ballot privileges.

Under twelve months back, we lived in a separate situation. Twelve months later? Or in several years? The reality is, we cannot predict. Our sole course is try to not give up.

What Offers Me Optimism Currently

The contact I experience with students with young journalists, who are both visionary and grounded, {always