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In late October 2024, the landscape was entirely distinct. Before the US presidential election, considerate residents could acknowledge the nation's significant faults – its injustices and imbalance – but they could still see it as America. A democratic nation. A land where constitutional order meant something. A state headed by a dignified and decent public servant, notwithstanding his elderly years and growing weakness.

Nowadays, in late October 2025, countless Americans barely recognize the land we reside in. Persons alleged as undocumented migrants are rounded up and pushed into transport, at times refused legal rights. The left side of the White House – is undergoing demolition for a grotesque ballroom. Donald Trump is harassing his adversaries or perceived antagonists and requesting federal prosecutors surrender an enormous amount of citizen dollars. Armed military personnel are dispatched to US urban areas with deceptive justifications. The Pentagon, renamed the War Department, has effectively liberated itself of day-to-day journalistic scrutiny as it spends potentially totaling close to a trillion USD of taxpayer money. Universities, legal practices, journalism organizations are yielding due to presidential intimidation, and wealthy elites are regarded as members of the royal family.

“America, shortly prior to its quarter-millennium anniversary as the world’s leading democracy, has fallen over the limit toward dictatorship and totalitarianism,” an American historian, wrote this past summer. “Ultimately, swifter than I believed likely, it occurred in this country.”

Every morning starts to new horrors. It is challenging to understand – and agonizing to acknowledge – just how far gone we have become, and how quickly it unfolded.

Yet, we understand that the president was duly elected. Following his highly troubling first term and following the alerts linked to the understanding of the conservative plan – despite the president personally said publicly he planned to rule as a tyrant solely at the start – sufficient voters selected him instead of his Democratic opponent.

As terrifying as the present situation is, it’s even scarier to understand that we have only been several months into this presidential term. How will another 36 months of this downfall leave us? And suppose that timeframe transforms into an prolonged era, because there is not anyone to limit this president from deciding that a third term is necessary, possibly for security concerns?

Admittedly, not everything is hopeless. We will have legislative votes next year that may bring a different governmental control, in case Democrats retake either chamber of Congress. There exist public servants who are trying to impose certain responsibility, for example lawmakers who are initiating an inquiry into the attempted fund seizure from the justice department.

And a leadership election in the next cycle could begin the path toward restoration exactly as last year’s election set us on this unfortunate course.

There exist numerous residents demonstrating in urban areas throughout communities, similar to recent recently at democracy demonstrations.

Robert Reich, wrote recently that “the great sleeping giant of America is stirring”, exactly as before after the Communist witch-hunt era during the fifties or during the Vietnam war protests or in the Watergate scandal.

During those times, the unstable nation ultimately corrected itself.

Reich says he recognizes the indicators of that awakening and notices it unfolding currently. For proof, he points to the recent massive protests, the widespread, multi-faction opposition against a television host's removal and the largely united defiance by media to sign the defense department’s demands they report only authorized information.

“The slumbering entity consistently stays dormant until certain corruption grows too toxic, a particular deed so disrespectful toward public welfare, certain violence so noisy, that the giant has no choice but to awaken.”

It's a positive outlook, and I value the author's seasoned opinion. Possibly he may prove to be right.

Meanwhile, the big questions endure: will the nation ever recover? Can it retrieve its status in the world and its commitment to the rule of law?

Or do we need to admit that the 250-year-old experiment worked for a while, and then – abruptly, completely – collapsed?

My pessimistic brain indicates that the final scenario is accurate; that everything could be gone. My hopeful heart, though, convinces me that we must try, in whatever ways possible.

For me, as an observer of the press, that involves encouraging reporters to live up, more thoroughly, to their purpose of overseeing leadership. For others, it could mean engaging with election efforts, or organizing rallies, or finding ways to safeguard voting rights.

Not even one year prior, we existed in an alternate reality. In the future? Or after another term? The truth is, we are uncertain. Our sole course is to attempt to not give up.

What’s Giving Me Hope Now

The engagement I encounter with students with young journalists, who are equally visionary and realistic, {always