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One year ago, the landscape was completely separate. Ahead of the national election, thoughtful residents could admit the nation's serious imperfections – its unfairness and inequality – but they still could see it as America. A democracy. A place where the rule of law held significance. A country guided by a dignified and upright public servant, even with his older age and increasing frailty.

Nowadays, as October 2025 ends, countless Americans hardly identify the country we live in. Individuals suspected of being unauthorized foreigners are collected and pushed into vehicles, sometimes refused legal rights. The East Wing of the “people’s house” – is being destroyed for a grotesque event space. The president is persecuting his adversaries or supposed enemies and insisting federal prosecutors transfer an enormous amount of citizen dollars. Soldiers with weapons are being sent into American cities on false pretexts. The Pentagon, renamed the War Department, has effectively freed itself of routine media oversight as it spends what could amount to nearly $1tn in public funds. Universities, legal practices, media outlets are buckling due to presidential intimidation, and rich magnates are regarded as nobility.

“The United States, 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,” Garrett Graff, wrote recently. “Finally, more quickly than I believed likely, it transpired in America.”

One awakes to new horrors. It is hard to comprehend – and distressing to accept – how deeply lost we have become, and the rapid pace with which it occurred.

However, we know that the president was legitimately chosen. Despite his profoundly alarming previous administration and even after the alerts linked to the awareness of Project 2025 – following the leader directly said publicly he planned to rule as a tyrant solely at the start – a majority of citizens elected him instead of the other candidate.

Frightening as today's circumstances are, it's more daunting to realize that we’re only nine months into this presidential term. How will another 36 months of this downfall position us? And what if that timeframe becomes an prolonged era, as there is not anyone to limit this ruler from opting that another term is required, maybe for national security reasons?

Admittedly, there is still hope. We will have legislative votes next year that may bring a different governmental control, should Democrats regain either chamber of Congress. We have public servants who are attempting to exert a degree of oversight, like Democratic congressmen that are initiating an inquiry regarding the effort to money grab from legal authorities.

And a national vote in 2028 could start our journey to recovery just as the previous vote placed us on this unfortunate course.

There are numerous residents marching in public spaces across municipalities, as they did recently during anti-authority protests.

An ex-cabinet member, commented this week that “the great sleeping giant of the US is stirring”, just as it did following the Red Scare during the fifties or during anti-war demonstrations or during the Nixon controversy.

On those occasions, the listing ship ultimately corrected itself.

The author states he knows the signals of that awakening and observes it occurring currently. For proof, he cites the widespread marches, the widespread, cross-party resistance against a television host's removal and the almost universal defiance by media to accept the defense department’s demands they report only authorized information.

“The sleeping giant perpetually exists dormant before some venality grows too toxic, a particular deed so offensive of societal benefit, certain violence so noisy, that he has no choice other than to stir.”

It's a hopeful perspective, and I appreciate Reich’s experienced view. Possibly he may prove to be right.

Meanwhile, the big questions endure: will the nation return to normalcy? Is it possible to restore its position globally and its adherence to the rule of law?

Or should we recognize that the national endeavor functioned for a period, and then – abruptly, completely – collapsed?

My pessimistic brain suggests that the final scenario is accurate; that everything could be finished. My positive feelings, nevertheless, advises me that we have to attempt, through all methods possible.

In my case, working in journalism analysis, that involves pushing media professionals to live up, more fully, to their duty of scrutinizing authority. For others, it might involve engaging with congressional campaigns, or organizing rallies, or discovering methods to protect electoral access.

Under twelve months back, we existed in an alternate reality. A year from now? Or in several years? The reality is, we cannot predict. The only option is to attempt to continue fighting.

What Provides Me Encouragement Today

The engagement I have with students with aspiring reporters, that are simultaneously visionary and realistic, {always