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Twelve months back, the situation was entirely distinct. Before the national election, reflective Americans could acknowledge the country's serious imperfections – its unfairness and disparity – yet they still could perceive it as America. A democracy. A country where constitutional order held significance. A nation headed by a respectable and decent public servant, even with his elderly years and increasing frailty.

Nowadays, as October 2025 ends, numerous citizens scarcely know the country we inhabit. Persons alleged as unauthorized foreigners are collected and shoved into transport, occasionally refused legal rights. The left side of the presidential residence – is being torn down to build a lavish dance hall. The president is targeting his opponents or alleged foes and demanding the justice department surrender a huge total of public funds. Soldiers with weapons are dispatched across metropolitan centers under fabricated reasons. The defense headquarters, renamed the War Department, has practically liberated itself of routine media oversight while it uses potentially totaling close to a trillion USD in public funds. Institutions, legal practices, media outlets are buckling due to presidential intimidation, and billionaires are handled as nobility.

“America, only a few months ahead of its quarter-millennium anniversary as the world’s leading democracy, has crossed the brink toward dictatorship and extremism,” an American historian, wrote in August. “In the end, swifter than I imagined possible, it transpired in this country.”

One awakes amid recent atrocities. It is hard to comprehend – and painful to realize – just how far gone we have become, and how quickly it occurred.

However, we know that the president was legitimately chosen. Despite his profoundly alarming initial presidency and even after the alerts associated with the understanding of the rightwing blueprint – despite Trump himself declared plainly he would be a dictator just on day one – a majority of citizens elected him instead of his Democratic opponent.

While alarming as today's circumstances are, it's more frightening to understand that we’re only three-quarters of a year into this presidential term. How will three more years of this deterioration position us? And if that timeframe transforms into a more extended duration, because there is no one to restrain this president from opting that another term is essential, perhaps for defense purposes?

Granted, not everything is hopeless. We will have legislative votes next year which might establish an alternate political equilibrium, if Democrats regain the Senate or House of the legislature. We have public servants who are striving to exert some accountability, like lawmakers who are starting a probe concerning the try to money grab by federal prosecutors.

And a presidential election in 2028 could start us down the road to recovery precisely as the previous vote set us on this unfortunate course.

There are millions of Americans protesting in the streets throughout communities, similar to recent in the past days during anti-authority protests.

An ex-cabinet member, wrote recently that “the great sleeping giant of America is awakening”, exactly as before following the Red Scare during the fifties or during anti-war demonstrations or throughout the Nixon controversy.

During those times, the listing ship finally returned to balance.

The author states he recognizes the signs of that revival and observes it occurring at present. As support, he cites the large-scale demonstrations, the widespread, cross-party resistance regarding a broadcaster's firing and the near-unanimous defiance by media to agree to government requirements they solely cover authorized information.

“The sleeping giant consistently stays asleep until some venality grows too toxic, some action so offensive of societal benefit, some brutality so loud, that the giant is compelled but to awaken.”

It’s an optimistic take, and I appreciate the author's seasoned opinion. Perhaps he will be validated.

At the same time, the crucial issues persist: can America ever recover? Is it possible to restore its status globally and its adherence to constitutional order?

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

My negative thoughts indicates that the final scenario is correct; that everything could be gone. My positive feelings, nevertheless, advises me that we must try, through all methods we can.

Personally, working in journalism analysis, that means encouraging reporters to live up, more fully, to their duty of scrutinizing authority. For some people, it might involve engaging with political races, or organizing rallies, or discovering methods to safeguard ballot privileges.

Not even one year prior, we lived in an alternate reality. A year from now? Or in several years? The fact is, we don’t know. Our sole course is to attempt to persevere.

What’s Giving Me Hope Now

The contact I have with students with new media professionals, that are simultaneously visionary and grounded, {always