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Twelve months back, the environment was utterly different. Prior to the national election, considerate residents could recognize the country's significant faults – its unfairness and imbalance – yet they continued to see it as the US. A free society. A land where the rule of law carried weight. A nation led by a honorable and upright public servant, notwithstanding his older age and increasing frailty.

Nowadays, this autumn, numerous citizens scarcely know the land we reside in. People suspected of being undocumented migrants are detained and forced into vans, occasionally denied due process. The left side of the White House – is being destroyed to build a lavish dance hall. Donald Trump is harassing his adversaries or perceived antagonists and demanding the justice department surrender a huge total of taxpayer money. Uniformed troops are being sent to US urban areas under fabricated reasons. The military command, renamed the War Department, has effectively freed itself of routine media oversight while it uses possibly reaching nearly $1tn of taxpayer money. Colleges, law firms, media outlets are yielding from leader's menaces, and billionaires are treated like members of the royal family.

“The United States, just months before its quarter-millennium anniversary as the planet's foremost free society, has tipped over the brink into authoritarianism and totalitarianism,” an American historian, wrote recently. “In the end, more quickly than I thought feasible, it occurred in America.”

Each day begins amid recent atrocities. And it's hard to comprehend – and agonizing to acknowledge – how severely declined our nation is, and the rapid pace with which it unfolded.

However, it is known that the president was legitimately chosen. Following his deeply disturbing first term and following the cautions that came with the awareness of Project 2025 – following the president personally said publicly he would be a dictator only on the first day – enough Americans selected him instead of his Democratic opponent.

As terrifying as today's circumstances are, it's more daunting to realize that we are just three-quarters of a year under this leadership. What will three more years of this deterioration find us? And suppose that timeframe turns into something even longer, since there is no one to limit this president from determining that another term is essential, possibly for defense purposes?

Granted, not everything is hopeless. There are midterm elections in 2026 that may create a new governmental control, in case Democrats recapture the Senate or House of parliament. There exist elected officials who are striving to apply a degree of oversight, like lawmakers currently launching an investigation regarding the effort to money grab by federal prosecutors.

And a leadership election in the next cycle could start our journey to healing just as last year’s election put us on this unfortunate course.

We see numerous residents demonstrating in public spaces throughout communities, similar to recent in the past days in the No Kings rallies.

A former official, commented this week that “the slumbering force of the nation is rising”, exactly as before after the Communist witch-hunt era during the fifties or during the sixties activism or throughout the seventies crisis.

In those instances, the unstable nation ultimately corrected itself.

Reich says he recognizes the signs of that awakening and observes it occurring now. As evidence, he cites the large-scale demonstrations, the broad, multi-faction opposition to a broadcaster's firing and the almost universal refusal by journalists to accept government requirements they solely cover authorized information.

“The dormant force always remains asleep until specific greed becomes so noxious, a particular deed so offensive of societal benefit, some brutality so loud, that it is compelled except to rise.”

It's a hopeful perspective, and I value his knowledgeable stance. Maybe he’ll be validated.

Meanwhile, the major inquiries remain: is the US able to return to normalcy? Is it possible to restore its status in the world and its adherence to constitutional order?

Or must we acknowledge that the 250-year-old experiment functioned for a period, and then – suddenly, utterly – failed?

My negative thoughts suggests that the latter is correct; that all may indeed be lost. My hopeful heart, however, tells me that we have to attempt, through all methods available.

Personally, working in journalism analysis, that means encouraging reporters to commit, more completely, to their purpose of overseeing leadership. For others, it might involve engaging with political races, or coordinating protests, or discovering methods to defend ballot privileges.

Less than a year ago, we lived in a very different place. Twelve months later? Or after another term? The truth is, we are uncertain. Our sole course is try to continue fighting.

What Provides Me Optimism Currently

The contact I experience in the classroom with new media professionals, who are equally idealistic and practical, {always