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Twelve months back, the environment was entirely separate. Prior to the national election, thoughtful residents could admit the country's deep flaws – its injustices and disparity – however they still could perceive it as the US. A democratic nation. A country where the rule of law held significance. A state headed by a honorable and ethical official, notwithstanding his older age and increasing frailty.

Currently, as October 2025 ends, many of us scarcely know the nation we reside in. People believed to be undocumented migrants are detained and shoved into vehicles, at times denied due process. The left side of the “people’s house” – is undergoing demolition for a grotesque dance hall. The leader is persecuting his adversaries or alleged foes and requesting the justice department surrender an enormous amount of public funds. Soldiers with weapons are dispatched across metropolitan centers under fabricated reasons. The military command, rebranded the War Department, has practically rid itself of day-to-day journalistic scrutiny while it uses what could amount to close to a trillion USD in public funds. Universities, attorney offices, news companies are yielding from leader's menaces, and wealthy elites are treated like aristocracy.

“The US, just months before its 250-year mark as the planet's foremost free society, has tipped over the brink into authoritarianism and extremism,” a noted author, wrote in August. “Ultimately, more quickly than I thought feasible, it did happen in this country.”

One awakes to new horrors. It is difficult to grasp – and distressing to accept – how severely declined we are, and how quickly it unfolded.

Nevertheless, we know that Trump was duly elected. Even after his deeply disturbing first term and even after the alerts associated with the understanding of the rightwing blueprint – even after the president personally declared plainly he intended to act as an autocrat only on the first day – sufficient voters chose him rather than his Democratic opponent.

As terrifying as the current reality is, it's more frightening to realize that we have only been several months into this administration. How will another 36 months of this deterioration position us? And if that timeframe transforms into something even longer, as there is no one to limit this ruler from opting that additional tenure is essential, maybe for defense purposes?

Admittedly, there is still hope. We will have congressional elections in 2026 that may bring a different political equilibrium, should Democrats recapture the Senate or House of Congress. We have government representatives who are striving to exert certain responsibility, like Democratic congressmen that are starting a probe into the attempted fund seizure from legal authorities.

And a presidential election in 2028 could start our journey toward restoration exactly as the previous vote set us on this unfortunate course.

There are countless citizens protesting in urban areas of their cities, similar to recent last weekend in the No Kings rallies.

An ex-cabinet member, stated lately that “the slumbering force of the US is stirring”, just as it did following the Red Scare during the fifties or during the sixties activism or during the Watergate scandal.

On those occasions, the listing ship ultimately corrected itself.

Reich says he knows the signals of that resurgence and sees it happening currently. As evidence, he cites the large-scale demonstrations, the extensive, cross-party resistance regarding a personality's dismissal and the almost universal defiance by media to agree to government requirements they only publish authorized information.

“The dormant force perpetually exists asleep till some venality becomes so noxious, an specific act so disrespectful of the common good, some brutality so loud, that it is compelled other than to stir.”

It's a positive outlook, and I respect the author's seasoned opinion. Perhaps he will turn out correct.

In the meantime, the big questions remain: will the nation return to normalcy? Is it possible to restore its position internationally and its devotion to legal principles?

Or do we need to admit that the national endeavor succeeded temporarily, and then – suddenly, utterly – failed?

My negative thoughts indicates that the latter is accurate; that everything might be gone. My optimistic spirit, nevertheless, convinces me that we have to attempt, through all methods possible.

For me, working in journalism analysis, that means pushing media professionals to adhere, more thoroughly, to their mission of scrutinizing authority. For different individuals, it might involve working on political races, or organizing rallies, or finding ways to protect ballot privileges.

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

What Provides Me Encouragement Today

The engagement I experience in the classroom with aspiring reporters, that are simultaneously hopeful and realistic, {always