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In late October 2024, the situation was entirely distinct. Ahead of the American presidential vote, considerate residents could acknowledge the country's deep flaws – its injustices and disparity – yet they continued to perceive it as the US. A democratic nation. A place where constitutional order held significance. A nation guided by a dignified and ethical official, despite his elderly years and growing weakness.

Currently, in late October 2025, many of us scarcely know the country we reside in. Individuals believed to be illegal immigrants are collected and forced into transport, sometimes denied due process. The eastern section of the White House – is being destroyed for an obscene event space. The president is harassing his political rivals or perceived antagonists and demanding the justice department hand over an enormous amount of taxpayer money. Uniformed troops are being sent into American cities under fabricated reasons. The defense headquarters, renamed the Department of War, has practically rid itself of routine media oversight as it spends possibly reaching almost one trillion dollars from citizen taxes. Colleges, legal practices, journalism organizations are buckling under the president’s threats, and billionaires are handled as aristocracy.

“The US, just months before its quarter-millennium anniversary as the planet's foremost free society, has crossed the brink into authoritarianism and totalitarianism,” an American historian, stated recently. “Finally, more quickly than I imagined possible, it did happen in America.”

One awakes to new horrors. And it is challenging to understand – and painful to realize – how severely declined we have become, and the rapid pace with which it occurred.

Yet, it is known that the leader was properly voted in. Despite his highly troubling previous administration and following the warnings linked to the understanding of Project 2025 – following the president personally stated openly he intended to be a dictator just on day one – enough Americans selected him instead of the other candidate.

While alarming as today's circumstances may be, it's more frightening to realize that we are just three-quarters of a year into this administration. Where will an additional three years of this decline leave us? And what if the three years turns into a more extended duration, because there is no one to limit this president from deciding that a third term is necessary, perhaps for security concerns?

Certainly, not everything is hopeless. There will be congressional elections the coming year that may create a new balance of power, should Democrats regain either chamber of the legislature. There are elected officials who are trying to apply certain responsibility, such as lawmakers that are launching an investigation regarding the effort to cash appropriation from legal authorities.

And a national vote three years from now could start us down the road to recovery just as the prior selection set us on this disappointing trajectory.

There are millions of Americans marching in public spaces of their cities, similar to recent last weekend during anti-authority protests.

Robert Reich, commented this week that “the slumbering force of the nation is rising”, just as it did after the Communist witch-hunt era in the 1950s or throughout the Vietnam war protests or throughout the seventies crisis.

During those times, the tilting vessel finally returned to balance.

The author states he recognizes the signals of that awakening and observes it occurring now. For proof, he cites the recent massive protests, the widespread, bipartisan pushback to a broadcaster's firing and the largely united refusal by journalists to sign military mandates they report only authorized information.

“The slumbering entity always remains dormant till some venality grows too toxic, an specific act so contemptuous of the common good, certain violence so disruptive, that the giant is compelled other than to stir.”

It’s an optimistic take, and I value Reich’s experienced view. Perhaps he will turn out correct.

Meanwhile, the major inquiries remain: is the US able to regain its footing? Can it retrieve its status in the world and its commitment to constitutional order?

Or should we recognize that the 250-year-old experiment worked for a while, and then – abruptly, completely – collapsed?

My cynical mind tells me that the latter is accurate; that everything could be finished. My hopeful heart, however, tells me that we have to attempt, in whatever ways we can.

Personally, working in journalism analysis, that means pushing media professionals to adhere, more completely, to their duty of holding power to account. For some people, it could mean participating in election efforts, or planning demonstrations, or developing approaches to protect electoral access.

Less than a year ago, we were in a very different place. In the future? Or in several years? The truth is, we are uncertain. All we can do is to strive to persevere.

What Offers Me Encouragement Today

The contact I encounter in the classroom with new media professionals, who are both hopeful and realistic, {always