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One year ago, the environment was completely different. Ahead of the national election, considerate citizens could admit the nation's deep flaws – its inequities and disparity – however they continued to perceive it as America. A free society. A place where constitutional order held significance. A country headed by a dignified and upright leader, even with his elderly years and increasing frailty.

Currently, in late October 2025, many of us hardly identify the land we inhabit. People believed to be undocumented migrants are collected and forced into vans, occasionally denied due process. The left side of the “people’s house” – is being torn down to build a lavish dance hall. Donald Trump is harassing his political rivals or alleged foes and demanding federal prosecutors transfer a huge total of taxpayer money. Uniformed troops are dispatched into American cities on false pretexts. The military command, relabeled the Defense Ministry, has practically freed itself of regular press examination while it uses possibly reaching nearly $1tn from citizen taxes. Institutions, attorney offices, news companies are yielding from leader's menaces, and wealthy elites are regarded as members of the royal family.

“The United States, only a few months ahead of its 250-year mark as the planet's foremost free society, has crossed the limit into autocracy and fascism,” an American historian, wrote this past summer. “In the end, faster than I thought feasible, it transpired here.”

Every morning starts to new horrors. And it is hard to comprehend – and agonizing to acknowledge – how severely declined we are, and the speed at which it occurred.

However, we know that Trump was legitimately chosen. Even after his highly troubling first term and following the alerts linked to the awareness of the conservative plan – despite the president personally declared plainly he would act as an autocrat only on the first day – sufficient voters chose him rather than the other candidate.

As terrifying as today's circumstances are, it's more daunting to understand that we have only been several months into this administration. Where will an additional three years of this decline leave us? And if that period transforms into something even longer, since there is nobody to restrain this leader from determining that another term is required, perhaps for national security reasons?

Admittedly, all is not lost. We will have midterm elections in 2026 that could create a new political equilibrium, if Democrats retake one or both houses of Congress. There exist elected officials who are trying to exert a degree of oversight, such as lawmakers who are initiating an inquiry concerning the try to money grab by federal prosecutors.

And a national vote in 2028 could initiate our journey to healing just as the prior selection put us on this unfortunate course.

There are countless citizens marching in urban areas across municipalities, as they did in the past days during anti-authority protests.

A former official, wrote recently that “the dormant powerhouse of the US is awakening”, similar to past following the Red Scare in that decade or throughout the Vietnam war protests or in the Watergate scandal.

On those occasions, the tilting vessel ultimately corrected itself.

Reich says he understands the signs of that awakening and sees it happening at present. As support, he references the large-scale demonstrations, the extensive, bipartisan pushback regarding a broadcaster's firing and the largely united refusal by journalists to accept military mandates they solely cover authorized information.

“The dormant force perpetually exists inactive until specific greed turns extremely harmful, a particular deed so offensive of the common good, specific cruelty so loud, that he is compelled other than to stir.”

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

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

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

My negative thoughts tells me that the latter is accurate; that everything might be finished. My hopeful heart, though, advises me that we have to attempt, through all methods available.

In my case, as a media critic, that means pushing media professionals to live up, more fully, to their mission of overseeing leadership. For different individuals, it might involve engaging with congressional campaigns, or coordinating protests, or discovering methods to defend electoral access.

Not even one year prior, we lived in a separate situation. Twelve months later? Or three years from now? The fact is, we are uncertain. Our sole course is to strive to persevere.

What’s Giving Me Encouragement Today

The engagement I have with students with young journalists, who are equally visionary and grounded, {always