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In late October 2024, the situation was completely separate. Before the American presidential vote, reflective residents could acknowledge America's serious imperfections – its inequities and inequality – yet they still could perceive it as the US. A democratic nation. A land where the rule of law meant something. A state led by a dignified and decent leader, notwithstanding his elderly years and growing weakness.

Nowadays, as October 2025 ends, countless Americans scarcely know the land we live in. Persons suspected of being unauthorized foreigners are detained and shoved into vans, sometimes denied due process. The East Wing of the presidential residence – is undergoing demolition to build a lavish dance hall. The president is targeting his political rivals or perceived antagonists and insisting legal authorities hand over an enormous amount of public funds. Soldiers with weapons are being sent across metropolitan centers under fabricated reasons. The defense headquarters, relabeled the Defense Ministry, has practically rid itself of day-to-day journalistic scrutiny as it spends possibly reaching almost one trillion dollars in public funds. Institutions, legal practices, journalism organizations are submitting due to presidential intimidation, and billionaires are handled as nobility.

“The United States, just months before its 250-year mark as the globe's top democratic nation, has fallen over the edge into authoritarianism and extremism,” a noted author, commented recently. “Finally, faster than I thought feasible, it did happen in America.”

One awakes with fresh terrors. It is challenging to understand – and agonizing to acknowledge – how severely declined we are, and the speed at which it has happened.

Yet, we know that the president was duly elected. Following his highly troubling previous administration and following the cautions that came with the understanding of the rightwing blueprint – following the leader directly said publicly he planned to be a dictator solely at the start – sufficient voters selected him over the other candidate.

Frightening as the current reality are, it's more daunting to recognize that we’re only several months under this leadership. Where will an additional three years of this decline leave us? And what if the three years becomes a more extended duration, since there is no one to limit this president from deciding that another term is required, maybe for national security reasons?

Granted, there is still hope. There are congressional elections the coming year which might bring a different governmental control, should Democrats recapture either chamber of Congress. We have elected officials who are trying to exert some accountability, such as Democratic congressmen who are starting a probe regarding the effort to money grab by federal prosecutors.

And a leadership election in 2028 could begin our journey toward restoration just as the previous vote put us on this disappointing trajectory.

We see countless citizens protesting in urban areas of their cities, similar to recent last weekend in the No Kings rallies.

Robert Reich, wrote recently that “the great sleeping giant of America is awakening”, just as it did following the Red Scare in that decade or during the Vietnam war protests or during the Nixon controversy.

On those occasions, the unstable nation ultimately corrected itself.

The author states he understands the indicators of that revival and observes it occurring now. For proof, he cites the widespread marches, the extensive, bipartisan pushback against a television host's removal and the near-unanimous refusal by journalists to agree to military mandates they only publish what is sanctioned.

“The slumbering entity consistently stays dormant till specific greed grows too toxic, an specific act so contemptuous toward public welfare, some brutality so loud, that it is compelled other than to stir.”

It’s an optimistic take, and I value the author's seasoned opinion. Maybe he’ll be validated.

In the meantime, the major inquiries remain: is the US able to ever recover? Can it reclaim its position globally and its commitment to constitutional order?

Or should we recognize that the historical project succeeded temporarily, and then – swiftly, totally – ended?

My negative thoughts tells me that the final scenario is true; that all may indeed be lost. My optimistic spirit, nevertheless, convinces me that we must try, by any means possible.

In my case, working in journalism analysis, that’s about encouraging reporters to adhere, more completely, to their purpose of scrutinizing authority. For some people, it might involve working on congressional campaigns, or planning demonstrations, or discovering methods to protect electoral access.

Less than a year ago, we lived in a very different place. Twelve months later? Or in several years? The truth is, we don’t know. All we can do is to attempt to continue fighting.

What’s Giving Me Optimism Currently

The contact I experience with students with young journalists, who are both visionary and realistic, {always