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One year ago, the situation was utterly separate. Prior to the American presidential vote, reflective citizens could recognize the country's serious imperfections – its unfairness and disparity – however they still could perceive it as America. A free society. A country where the rule of law held significance. A state led by a honorable and upright leader, despite his elderly years and increasing frailty.

Nowadays, in late October 2025, many of us barely recognize the nation we reside in. People alleged as unauthorized foreigners are collected and forced into vans, occasionally refused legal rights. The eastern section of the presidential residence – is undergoing demolition to build a lavish dance hall. The president is harassing his adversaries or perceived antagonists and insisting federal prosecutors transfer a huge total of public funds. Soldiers with weapons are dispatched across metropolitan centers under fabricated reasons. The defense headquarters, rebranded the War Department, has – in effect – liberated itself of day-to-day journalistic scrutiny during its expenditure of possibly reaching close to a trillion USD in public funds. Universities, law firms, news companies are yielding due to presidential intimidation, and billionaires are regarded as aristocracy.

“The US, just months before its 250-year mark as the planet's foremost free society, has fallen over the brink into authoritarianism and extremism,” Garrett Graff, stated this past summer. “In the end, more quickly than I thought feasible, it transpired in America.”

One awakes amid recent atrocities. It is hard to comprehend – and agonizing to acknowledge – how deeply lost we are, and how quickly it has happened.

Yet, we know that the leader was duly elected. Even after his highly troubling previous administration and despite the warnings associated with the knowledge of Project 2025 – even after the president personally declared plainly he would be a dictator only on the first day – enough Americans elected him rather than Kamala Harris.

Frightening as the present situation is, it's more daunting to realize that we have only been several months into this administration. What will an additional three years of this downfall find us? And suppose the three years turns into something even longer, because there is no one to stop this ruler from determining that additional tenure is essential, perhaps for national security reasons?

Admittedly, there is still hope. There will be legislative votes the coming year which might bring a different political equilibrium, in case Democrats recapture one or both houses of the legislature. We have elected officials who are striving to exert some accountability, such as lawmakers that are initiating an inquiry regarding the effort to cash appropriation by federal prosecutors.

And a presidential election three years from now could initiate our journey to recovery exactly as last year’s election placed us on this disappointing trajectory.

There are numerous residents protesting in public spaces of their cities, as they did last weekend during anti-authority protests.

An ex-cabinet member, wrote recently that “the great sleeping giant of the US is stirring”, similar to past following the Red Scare during the fifties or during the sixties activism or throughout the Watergate scandal.

During those times, the tilting vessel eventually was righted.

The author states he understands the signs of that revival and notices it unfolding at present. As evidence, he points to the recent massive protests, the widespread, cross-party resistance regarding a broadcaster's firing and the almost universal defiance by media to accept the defense department’s demands they report only approved content.

“The sleeping giant consistently stays dormant until some venality grows too toxic, an specific act so offensive toward public welfare, certain violence so loud, that it is forced except to rise.”

It's a positive outlook, and I respect Reich’s experienced view. Maybe he’ll prove to be right.

At the same time, the crucial issues remain: can America return to normalcy? Can it retrieve its standing internationally and its devotion to the rule of law?

Or should we recognize that the 250-year-old experiment succeeded temporarily, and then – abruptly, completely – collapsed?

My negative thoughts indicates that the latter is correct; that everything might be lost. My hopeful heart, nevertheless, convinces me that we must try, in whatever ways available.

In my case, as a media critic, that means encouraging reporters to commit, more thoroughly, to their duty of scrutinizing authority. For different individuals, it may be participating in congressional campaigns, or planning demonstrations, or finding ways to safeguard ballot privileges.

Under twelve months back, we lived in a very different place. A year from now? Or in several years? The truth is, we don’t know. All we can do is to attempt to persevere.

What Provides Me Optimism Currently

The contact I experience with students with new media professionals, who are both visionary and grounded, {always