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One year ago, the situation was utterly different. Before the US presidential election, considerate Americans could recognize America's serious imperfections – its inequities and disparity – however they still could perceive it as the US. A free society. A country where legal governance meant something. A country headed by a respectable and decent public servant, even with his elderly years and declining health.

These days, this autumn, many of us scarcely know the land we inhabit. Persons alleged as unauthorized foreigners are rounded up and forced into transport, sometimes refused legal rights. The eastern section of the presidential residence – is being destroyed to build a lavish ballroom. The president is targeting his adversaries or supposed enemies and insisting legal authorities surrender an enormous amount of public funds. Uniformed troops are deployed across metropolitan centers on false pretexts. The Pentagon, renamed the War Department, has – in effect – freed itself of day-to-day journalistic scrutiny as it spends possibly reaching close to a trillion USD of taxpayer money. Colleges, legal practices, media outlets are buckling from leader's menaces, and rich magnates are regarded as nobility.

“The United States, just months before its 250-year mark as the globe's top democratic nation, has crossed the brink toward dictatorship and extremism,” an American historian, commented this past summer. “Finally, more quickly than I thought feasible, it transpired in America.”

Every morning starts with fresh terrors. And it is hard to comprehend – and painful to realize – just how far gone our nation is, and the rapid pace with which it unfolded.

Yet, we understand that the president was legitimately chosen. Even after his deeply disturbing first term and even after the cautions associated with the knowledge of the rightwing blueprint – even after the leader directly declared plainly he would be a dictator only on the first day – a majority of citizens selected him rather than Kamala Harris.

As terrifying as today's circumstances is, it’s even scarier to realize that we have only been several months under this leadership. How will three more years of this decline leave us? And what if that period turns into an prolonged era, because there is not anyone to stop this leader from deciding that additional tenure is necessary, maybe for security concerns?

Certainly, there is still hope. We will have legislative votes in 2026 which might establish an alternate balance of power, if Democrats retake the Senate or House of the legislature. There are elected officials who are striving to exert a degree of oversight, for example Democratic congressmen that are starting a probe into the attempted cash appropriation from legal authorities.

And a presidential election in the next cycle could begin us down the road to healing precisely as the previous vote placed us on this unfortunate course.

We see numerous residents demonstrating in the streets across municipalities, like they performed recently in the No Kings rallies.

An ex-cabinet member, wrote recently that “the great sleeping giant of the US is awakening”, similar to past post-McCarthyism during the fifties or during the Vietnam war protests or in the seventies crisis.

On those occasions, the listing ship eventually was righted.

Reich says he understands the indicators of that revival and observes it occurring currently. For proof, he references the widespread marches, the widespread, multi-faction opposition to a broadcaster's firing and the near-unanimous rejection by reporters to accept military mandates they report only approved content.

“The dormant force perpetually exists inactive before some venality becomes so noxious, some action so contemptuous of societal benefit, certain violence so loud, that the giant has no choice other than to stir.”

It's a hopeful perspective, and I respect the author's seasoned opinion. Perhaps he will turn out correct.

At the same time, the big questions endure: is the US able to return to normalcy? Is it possible to restore its position in the world and its commitment to constitutional order?

Or must we acknowledge that the historical project functioned for a period, and then – swiftly, totally – ended?

My cynical mind indicates that the second option is true; that all may indeed be gone. My positive feelings, however, advises me that we have to attempt, through all methods available.

For me, as an observer of the press, that’s about pushing media professionals to commit, more thoroughly, to their purpose of scrutinizing authority. For some people, it may be engaging with election efforts, or organizing rallies, or discovering methods to safeguard electoral access.

Not even one year prior, we were in a separate situation. A year from now? Or three years from now? The truth is, we cannot predict. Our sole course is to strive to persevere.

What’s Giving Me Optimism Currently

The contact I experience during teaching with new media professionals, who are both idealistic and practical, {always