🔗 Share this article

Twelve months back, the situation was completely separate. Before the US presidential election, considerate residents could admit the nation's significant faults – its unfairness and imbalance – however they still could see it as America. A democratic nation. A place where the rule of law carried weight. A nation led by a respectable and ethical official, despite his advanced age and increasing frailty.

Currently, as October 2025 ends, numerous citizens barely recognize the nation we live in. People alleged as undocumented migrants are rounded up and forced into vehicles, at times denied due process. The left side of the presidential residence – is being torn down for a grotesque ballroom. Donald Trump is persecuting his adversaries or supposed enemies and insisting the justice department surrender a huge total of taxpayer money. Soldiers with weapons are being sent into American cities on false pretexts. The defense headquarters, rebranded the War Department, has practically liberated itself of regular press examination while it uses possibly reaching close to a trillion USD of taxpayer money. Institutions, law firms, news companies are submitting due to presidential intimidation, and wealthy elites are handled as nobility.

“The United States, just months before its 250-year mark as the world’s leading democracy, has crossed the brink toward dictatorship and fascism,” an American historian, wrote this past summer. “Finally, faster than I imagined possible, it did happen in this country.”

One awakes with fresh terrors. It is hard to comprehend – and agonizing to acknowledge – how deeply lost our nation is, and the speed at which it has happened.

However, it is known that Trump was legitimately chosen. Following his highly troubling previous administration and despite the cautions that came with the understanding of Project 2025 – despite Trump himself said publicly he planned to act as an autocrat just on day one – sufficient voters elected him instead of Kamala Harris.

While alarming as the current reality are, it’s even scarier to recognize that we have only been several months into this presidential term. How will another 36 months of this downfall leave us? And suppose that period turns into an prolonged era, because there is nobody to restrain this ruler from determining that a third term is required, perhaps for security concerns?

Admittedly, not everything is hopeless. We will have legislative votes next year that could establish an alternate balance of power, if Democrats retake one or both houses of Congress. There are elected officials who are trying to apply some accountability, such as representatives currently launching an investigation into the attempted fund seizure from legal authorities.

And a national vote in the next cycle could initiate us down the road to recovery just as the prior selection set us on this regrettable path.

There are numerous residents protesting in public spaces across municipalities, as they did in the past days in the No Kings rallies.

A former official, commented this week that “the slumbering force of America is stirring”, exactly as before after the Communist witch-hunt era during the fifties or during anti-war demonstrations or during the seventies crisis.

On those occasions, the unstable nation finally returned to balance.

Reich says he understands the signs of that revival and sees it happening currently. As evidence, he references the recent massive protests, the widespread, multi-faction opposition regarding a television host's removal and the largely united rejection by reporters to agree to military mandates they solely cover approved content.

“The sleeping giant always remains inactive before certain corruption turns extremely harmful, some action so contemptuous of societal benefit, some brutality so noisy, that it has no choice but to awaken.”

It's a positive outlook, and I value the author's seasoned opinion. Maybe he’ll be validated.

In the meantime, the big questions remain: can America regain its footing? Is it possible to restore its standing internationally and its devotion to constitutional order?

Or should we recognize that the 250-year-old experiment succeeded temporarily, and then – suddenly, utterly – failed?

My cynical mind tells me that the final scenario is true; that all may indeed be gone. My positive feelings, nevertheless, tells me that we need to strive, by any means possible.

For me, working in journalism analysis, that means urging journalists to live up, more fully, to their duty of scrutinizing authority. For others, it could mean working on political races, or coordinating protests, or finding ways to safeguard ballot privileges.

Under twelve months back, we lived in an alternate reality. A year from now? Or in several years? The fact is, we don’t know. The only option is to attempt to not give up.

What Provides Me Optimism Currently

The engagement I have during teaching with aspiring reporters, who are both visionary and practical, {always