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Twelve months back, the landscape was completely different. Ahead of the national election, thoughtful Americans could recognize America's serious imperfections – its unfairness and inequality – however they could still perceive it as America. A democratic nation. A land where constitutional order carried weight. A nation guided by a dignified and upright leader, notwithstanding his older age and declining health.

Currently, in late October 2025, many of us scarcely know the nation we inhabit. Persons alleged as illegal immigrants are detained and shoved into vans, at times refused legal rights. The eastern section of the “people’s house” – is being torn down for an obscene ballroom. The president is persecuting his adversaries or alleged foes and insisting federal prosecutors hand over a massive sum of taxpayer money. Soldiers with weapons are deployed into American cities with deceptive justifications. The Pentagon, renamed the Department of War, has practically freed itself of routine media oversight as it spends what could amount to nearly $1tn in public funds. Colleges, attorney offices, journalism organizations are buckling under the president’s threats, and rich magnates are handled as nobility.

“The US, just months before its 250-year mark as the globe's top democratic nation, has tipped over the brink into authoritarianism and extremism,” a noted author, wrote recently. “In the end, faster than I imagined possible, it did happen in this country.”

Each day begins amid recent atrocities. And it's hard to comprehend – and agonizing to acknowledge – how deeply lost we have become, and the speed at which it unfolded.

Nevertheless, we understand that Trump was properly voted in. Even after his deeply disturbing previous administration and following the cautions associated with the knowledge of the conservative plan – following the president personally stated openly he intended to act as an autocrat just on day one – a majority of citizens selected him over his Democratic opponent.

While alarming as the current reality may be, it's more daunting to understand that we’re only three-quarters of a year into this administration. Where will another 36 months of this deterioration leave us? And what if that period transforms into an prolonged era, since there is no one to restrain this president from opting that another term is necessary, maybe for national security reasons?

Granted, all is not lost. There will be legislative votes next year which might bring a different governmental control, if Democrats recapture one or both houses of the legislature. There exist elected officials who are attempting to impose certain responsibility, such as lawmakers who are launching an investigation concerning the try to cash appropriation from the justice department.

And a leadership election in 2028 could start our journey to healing just as the previous vote placed us on this disappointing trajectory.

There exist millions of Americans protesting in public spaces throughout communities, as they did last weekend in the No Kings rallies.

A former official, stated lately that “the great sleeping giant of the nation is stirring”, exactly as before after the Communist witch-hunt era during the fifties or during the Vietnam war protests or throughout the Nixon controversy.

On those occasions, the listing ship ultimately corrected itself.

He claims he recognizes the indicators of that resurgence and notices it unfolding at present. As support, he references the widespread marches, the widespread, bipartisan pushback to a television host's removal and the almost universal defiance by media to sign military mandates they report only what is sanctioned.

“The dormant force perpetually exists dormant before specific greed grows too toxic, a particular deed so disrespectful of the common good, some brutality so disruptive, that the giant is forced except to rise.”

It's a hopeful perspective, and I respect his knowledgeable stance. Perhaps he will turn out correct.

Meanwhile, the major inquiries remain: will the nation return to normalcy? Can it reclaim its standing globally and its adherence to legal principles?

Or should we recognize that the 250-year-old experiment functioned for a period, and then – swiftly, totally – ended?

My pessimistic brain indicates that the final scenario is true; that everything might be finished. My positive feelings, however, tells me that we have to attempt, in whatever ways available.

For me, as a media critic, that’s about pushing media professionals to commit, more completely, to their duty of scrutinizing authority. For different individuals, it might involve working on election efforts, or coordinating protests, or finding ways to protect ballot privileges.

Under twelve months back, we lived in an alternate reality. A year from now? Or after another term? The reality is, we cannot predict. Our sole course is to strive to not give up.

What’s Giving Me Encouragement Today

The contact I experience during teaching with new media professionals, that are simultaneously hopeful and practical, {always