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In late October 2024, the situation was utterly distinct. Before the American presidential vote, reflective residents could recognize the nation's deep flaws – its inequities and imbalance – yet they continued to see it as the United States. A free society. A land where the rule of law carried weight. A state led by a dignified and ethical leader, despite his advanced age and increasing frailty.

Currently, as October 2025 ends, countless Americans barely recognize the country we live in. People alleged as unauthorized foreigners are collected and forced into transport, at times refused legal rights. The East Wing of the White House – is being destroyed to build a lavish dance hall. The leader is targeting his adversaries or perceived antagonists and demanding the justice department surrender an enormous amount of citizen dollars. Uniformed troops are being sent into American cities with deceptive justifications. The defense headquarters, renamed the Defense Ministry, has effectively liberated itself of day-to-day journalistic scrutiny during its expenditure of potentially totaling close to a trillion USD from citizen taxes. Universities, legal practices, journalism organizations are yielding from leader's menaces, and rich magnates are regarded as aristocracy.

“America, only a few months ahead of its 250-year mark as the globe's top democratic nation, has crossed the limit into authoritarianism and extremism,” an American historian, stated this past summer. “Finally, swifter than I thought feasible, it did happen in this country.”

Every morning starts amid recent atrocities. It is challenging to understand – and agonizing to acknowledge – how deeply lost we have become, and the speed at which it occurred.

Nevertheless, we understand that Trump was legitimately chosen. Even after his profoundly alarming first term and even after the alerts that came with the knowledge of the conservative plan – even after Trump himself stated openly he planned to be a dictator only on the first day – enough Americans selected him over Kamala Harris.

As terrifying as today's circumstances are, it's more frightening to realize that we have only been nine months into this presidential term. How will an additional three years of this deterioration find us? And suppose the three years turns into an prolonged era, because there is not anyone to restrain this ruler from determining that another term is essential, perhaps for national security reasons?

Admittedly, not everything is hopeless. We will have congressional elections in 2026 that may create a new political equilibrium, should Democrats recapture either chamber of the legislature. There are public servants who are striving to exert a degree of oversight, such as lawmakers that are initiating an inquiry concerning the try to money grab from legal authorities.

And a national vote in the next cycle could initiate us down the road to healing exactly as last year’s election put us on this unfortunate course.

We see millions of Americans marching in urban areas throughout communities, like they performed in the past days at democracy demonstrations.

A former official, stated lately that “the slumbering force of the nation is rising”, exactly as before post-McCarthyism in that decade or during the Vietnam war protests or in the seventies crisis.

In those instances, the tilting vessel eventually was righted.

Reich says he knows the signals of that resurgence and sees it happening now. For proof, he points to the large-scale demonstrations, the extensive, bipartisan pushback to a personality's dismissal and the almost universal defiance by media to sign military mandates they only publish what is sanctioned.

“The sleeping giant always remains asleep till specific greed grows too toxic, a particular deed so offensive of societal benefit, specific cruelty so noisy, that it is compelled other than to stir.”

It's a hopeful perspective, and I value Reich’s experienced view. Maybe he’ll turn out correct.

At the same time, the big questions persist: is the US able to ever recover? Can it reclaim its position globally and its devotion to legal principles?

Or must we acknowledge that the historical project succeeded temporarily, and then – suddenly, utterly – failed?

My pessimistic brain tells me that the latter is correct; that all may indeed be lost. My optimistic spirit, nevertheless, advises me that we have to attempt, through all methods available.

Personally, as a media critic, that’s about pushing media professionals to commit, more fully, to their mission of scrutinizing authority. For others, it could mean participating in election efforts, or planning demonstrations, or developing approaches to safeguard voting rights.

Less than a year ago, we existed in a very different place. A year from now? Or after another term? The reality is, we don’t know. All we can do is try to not give up.

What’s Giving Me Encouragement Today

The contact I have with students with young journalists, who are both hopeful and grounded, {always