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One year ago, the environment was entirely different. Before the American presidential vote, considerate residents could recognize the country's serious imperfections – its inequities and imbalance – yet they continued to perceive it as the United States. A free society. A place where constitutional order held significance. A state led by a respectable and ethical official, despite his older age and declining health.

Currently, as October 2025 ends, numerous citizens scarcely know the nation we reside in. Persons suspected of being undocumented migrants are detained and forced into transport, at times blocked from fair treatment. The East Wing of the presidential residence – is being destroyed to build a lavish ballroom. The leader is harassing his opponents or perceived antagonists and demanding federal prosecutors hand over an enormous amount of citizen dollars. Uniformed troops are dispatched into American cities with deceptive justifications. The military command, renamed the War Department, has effectively freed itself of routine media oversight while it uses what could amount to almost one trillion dollars of taxpayer money. Institutions, legal practices, media outlets are yielding from leader's menaces, and wealthy elites are regarded as nobility.

“America, just months before its 250^th birthday as the world’s leading democracy, has fallen over the brink into authoritarianism and extremism,” Garrett Graff, commented recently. “Finally, faster than I believed likely, it occurred in this country.”

One awakes amid recent atrocities. It is hard to comprehend – and agonizing to acknowledge – just how far gone we have become, and how quickly it occurred.

Nevertheless, we understand that Trump was duly elected. Following his profoundly alarming initial presidency and following the alerts linked to the understanding of the conservative plan – following the president personally said publicly he planned to act as an autocrat only on the first day – enough Americans elected him over Kamala Harris.

Frightening as the present situation is, it's more frightening to recognize that we are just three-quarters of a year into this presidential term. Where will an additional three years of this downfall leave us? And suppose the three years turns into an prolonged era, as there is not anyone to restrain this ruler from determining that a third term is necessary, possibly for defense purposes?

Granted, all is not lost. There will be midterm elections the coming year which might establish an alternate political equilibrium, if Democrats recapture the Senate or House of Congress. There exist public servants who are attempting to apply a degree of oversight, like representatives that are launching an investigation into the attempted cash appropriation from the justice department.

And a presidential election three years from now could begin our journey to healing exactly as the prior selection set us on this disappointing trajectory.

There exist numerous residents protesting in urban areas of their cities, similar to recent in the past days in the No Kings rallies.

An ex-cabinet member, wrote recently that “the slumbering force of the US is awakening”, exactly as before following the Red Scare during the fifties or throughout anti-war demonstrations or during the Watergate scandal.

During those times, the unstable nation ultimately corrected itself.

Reich says he understands the indicators of that resurgence and notices it unfolding at present. For proof, he points to the widespread marches, the extensive, multi-faction opposition regarding a broadcaster's firing and the near-unanimous rejection by reporters to accept military mandates they only publish what is sanctioned.

“The dormant force perpetually exists inactive until specific greed becomes so noxious, an specific act so offensive of societal benefit, specific cruelty so disruptive, that it has no choice other than to stir.”

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

Meanwhile, the major inquiries remain: is the US able to ever recover? Can it reclaim its status internationally and its commitment to constitutional order?

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

My negative thoughts indicates that the latter is correct; that all may indeed be finished. My optimistic spirit, though, advises me that we must try, through all methods possible.

Personally, as an observer of the press, that means urging journalists to live up, more completely, to their mission of scrutinizing authority. For different individuals, it could mean participating in political races, or planning demonstrations, or discovering methods to safeguard ballot privileges.

Not even one year prior, we existed in an alternate reality. In the future? Or in several years? The reality is, we don’t know. The only option is to strive to continue fighting.

What Provides Me Optimism Currently

The contact I encounter during teaching with young journalists, who are both idealistic and realistic, {always