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Twelve months back, the situation was entirely distinct. Prior to the US presidential election, thoughtful citizens could acknowledge the nation's significant faults – its inequities and imbalance – however they still could perceive it as the United States. A democratic nation. A land where constitutional order meant something. A nation guided by a respectable and upright leader, notwithstanding his older age and growing weakness.

Currently, as October 2025 ends, many of us scarcely know the nation we reside in. Persons suspected of being unauthorized foreigners are collected and forced into vehicles, sometimes refused legal rights. The eastern section of the “people’s house” – is undergoing demolition for an obscene dance hall. The president is harassing his opponents or perceived antagonists and demanding federal prosecutors transfer a massive sum of citizen dollars. Uniformed troops are dispatched into American cities under fabricated reasons. The Pentagon, relabeled the Defense Ministry, has effectively rid itself of routine media oversight as it spends what could amount to close to a trillion USD from citizen taxes. Colleges, law firms, news companies are yielding under the president’s threats, and wealthy elites are handled as members of the royal family.

“The US, shortly prior to its 250^th birthday as the planet's foremost free society, has fallen over the limit toward dictatorship and fascism,” a noted author, wrote this past summer. “In the end, more quickly than I thought feasible, it did happen in this country.”

Every morning starts to new horrors. It is hard to comprehend – and painful to realize – just how far gone we have become, and how quickly it occurred.

Nevertheless, we understand that the president was duly elected. Despite his deeply disturbing first term and even after the cautions associated with the knowledge of Project 2025 – following the president personally stated openly he would be a dictator just on day one – enough Americans chose him rather than his Democratic opponent.

While alarming as the current reality may be, it's more frightening to realize that we have only been several months into this administration. What will three more years of this deterioration leave us? And suppose the three years turns into something even longer, since there is no one to limit this ruler from determining that additional tenure is required, possibly for defense purposes?

Admittedly, not everything is hopeless. We will have legislative votes in 2026 that could establish an alternate political equilibrium, should Democrats regain either chamber of parliament. There are government representatives who are trying to apply a degree of oversight, for example Democratic congressmen that are starting a probe concerning the try to cash appropriation by federal prosecutors.

And a leadership election three years from now could begin our journey toward restoration just as the prior selection put us on this regrettable path.

There are millions of Americans marching in urban areas of their cities, like they performed in the past days in the No Kings rallies.

A former official, wrote recently that “the slumbering force of the nation is awakening”, exactly as before following the Red Scare during the fifties or during the Vietnam war protests or in the Nixon controversy.

In those instances, the unstable nation eventually was righted.

He claims he knows the signs of that awakening and notices it unfolding currently. As evidence, he references the recent massive protests, the broad, cross-party resistance to a personality's dismissal and the largely united defiance by media to sign military mandates they solely cover approved content.

“The dormant force perpetually exists inactive till certain corruption becomes so noxious, some action so disrespectful toward public welfare, specific cruelty so disruptive, that he is compelled other than to stir.”

It’s an optimistic take, and I value Reich’s experienced view. Possibly he may prove to be right.

At the same time, the major inquiries persist: will the nation ever recover? Can it retrieve its standing internationally and its devotion to legal principles?

Or must we acknowledge that the national endeavor worked for a while, and then – suddenly, utterly – failed?

My negative thoughts tells me that the second option is true; that all may indeed be lost. My positive feelings, though, convinces me that we must try, in whatever ways possible.

For me, as an observer of the press, that’s about encouraging reporters to live up, more thoroughly, to their purpose of scrutinizing authority. For some people, it may be working on congressional campaigns, or planning demonstrations, or discovering methods to protect voting rights.

Under twelve months back, we lived in a very different place. In the future? Or in several years? The reality is, we don’t know. Our sole course is to strive to continue fighting.

What Provides Me Encouragement Today

The interaction I experience with students with aspiring reporters, that are simultaneously visionary and grounded, {always