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In late October 2024, the landscape was completely different. Prior to the national election, thoughtful residents could recognize the country's significant faults – its unfairness and inequality – however they continued to see it as the United States. A free society. A place where the rule of law meant something. A nation guided by a respectable and upright official, even with his elderly years and declining health.

These days, in late October 2025, numerous citizens barely recognize the land we inhabit. People suspected of being unauthorized foreigners are detained and pushed into transport, sometimes refused legal rights. The left side of the “people’s house” – is being torn down for an obscene dance hall. Donald Trump is harassing his adversaries or perceived antagonists and demanding federal prosecutors transfer a massive sum of citizen dollars. Uniformed troops are dispatched across metropolitan centers under fabricated reasons. The military command, relabeled the Department of War, has effectively liberated itself of regular press examination during its expenditure of possibly reaching nearly $1tn from citizen taxes. Universities, legal practices, media outlets are yielding from leader's menaces, and billionaires are handled as aristocracy.

“The US, just months before its quarter-millennium anniversary as the world’s leading democracy, has tipped over the brink toward dictatorship and totalitarianism,” a noted author, stated in August. “Ultimately, more quickly than I imagined possible, it transpired in America.”

Each day begins amid recent atrocities. It is difficult to grasp – and painful to realize – how severely declined we are, and the speed at which it has happened.

Yet, we know that the leader was legitimately chosen. Despite his profoundly alarming first term and even after the alerts associated with the knowledge of Project 2025 – despite Trump himself said publicly he would act as an autocrat just on day one – a majority of citizens chose him over Kamala Harris.

As terrifying as the current reality is, it’s even scarier to understand that we are just nine months into this administration. What will another 36 months of this deterioration position us? And if the three years transforms into a more extended duration, because there is no one to limit this president from determining that additional tenure is essential, maybe for defense purposes?

Granted, there is still hope. We will have congressional elections next year that could bring a different balance of power, should Democrats recapture either chamber of the legislature. There exist public servants who are striving to exert certain responsibility, such as Democratic congressmen currently starting a probe into the attempted fund seizure by federal prosecutors.

And a leadership election three years from now could start us down the road to healing just as last year’s election placed us on this regrettable path.

We see countless citizens demonstrating in urban areas across municipalities, like they performed in the past days during anti-authority protests.

A former official, stated lately that “the dormant powerhouse of America is stirring”, just as it did following the Red Scare in that decade or throughout the Vietnam war protests or during the seventies crisis.

On those occasions, the unstable nation finally returned to balance.

He claims he understands the indicators of that revival and sees it happening at present. As evidence, he points to the widespread marches, the broad, multi-faction opposition to a personality's dismissal and the almost universal defiance by media to sign military mandates they solely cover approved content.

“The slumbering entity consistently stays dormant until certain corruption turns extremely harmful, some action so contemptuous of societal benefit, specific cruelty so disruptive, that the giant has no choice other than to stir.”

It's a positive outlook, and I respect his knowledgeable stance. Possibly he may prove to be right.

At the same time, the big questions remain: will the nation return to normalcy? Is it possible to restore its position globally and its adherence to the rule of law?

Or do we need to admit that the historical project functioned for a period, and then – abruptly, completely – collapsed?

My cynical mind indicates that the final scenario is true; that all may indeed be gone. My hopeful heart, however, tells me that we must try, by any means possible.

Personally, working in journalism analysis, that’s about urging journalists to live up, more thoroughly, to their duty of scrutinizing authority. For different individuals, it could mean working on election efforts, or organizing rallies, or developing approaches to safeguard electoral access.

Under twelve months back, we were in a very different place. Twelve months later? Or in several years? The truth is, we don’t know. Our sole course is to attempt to not give up.

What Provides Me Optimism Currently

The interaction I experience during teaching with aspiring reporters, that are simultaneously idealistic and realistic, {always