🔗 Share this article

One year ago, the situation was completely distinct. Before the US presidential election, considerate residents could recognize the country's deep flaws – its inequities and inequality – however they still could identify it as America. A democratic nation. A place where legal governance meant something. A state headed by a respectable and upright leader, despite his elderly years and growing weakness.

Nowadays, this autumn, countless Americans hardly identify the country we reside in. Individuals alleged as unauthorized foreigners are rounded up and shoved into vans, sometimes refused legal rights. The East Wing of the White House – is undergoing demolition to build a lavish ballroom. Donald Trump is targeting his political rivals or alleged foes and insisting the justice department transfer a massive sum of citizen dollars. Uniformed troops are deployed into American cities with deceptive justifications. The military command, rebranded the Department of War, has effectively rid itself of regular press examination as it spends what could amount to nearly $1tn in public funds. Universities, attorney offices, journalism organizations are yielding under the president’s threats, and rich magnates are treated like nobility.

“The United States, shortly prior to its 250-year mark as the planet's foremost free society, has fallen over the brink into authoritarianism and totalitarianism,” Garrett Graff, wrote recently. “In the end, more quickly than I believed likely, it occurred in America.”

Each day begins with fresh terrors. And it is difficult to grasp – and distressing to accept – how deeply lost we have become, and how quickly it unfolded.

Nevertheless, it is known that the president was duly elected. Even after his deeply disturbing previous administration and even after the alerts that came with the awareness of Project 2025 – despite the leader directly declared plainly he would rule as a tyrant only on the first day – a majority of citizens elected him rather than Kamala Harris.

As terrifying as the current reality are, it's more frightening to understand that we’re only several months into this administration. How will an additional three years of this decline leave us? And if the three years becomes an prolonged era, since there is not anyone to limit this leader from opting that a third term is necessary, perhaps for national security reasons?

Certainly, all is not lost. We will have midterm elections in 2026 that could create a new governmental control, if Democrats retake one or both houses of parliament. We have elected officials who are striving to impose certain responsibility, for example lawmakers who are starting a probe into the attempted money grab from the justice department.

And a leadership election in 2028 could begin our journey to recovery exactly as the prior selection placed us on this disappointing trajectory.

We see numerous residents protesting in urban areas throughout communities, as they did last weekend at democracy demonstrations.

An ex-cabinet member, commented this week that “the slumbering force of the nation is rising”, similar to past following the Red Scare in the 1950s or during the Vietnam war protests or during the seventies crisis.

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

Reich says he knows the signals of that revival and observes it occurring now. As evidence, he references the widespread marches, the broad, cross-party resistance regarding a broadcaster's firing and the largely united rejection by reporters to agree to the defense department’s demands they report only authorized information.

“The slumbering entity always remains inactive till some venality turns extremely harmful, some action so contemptuous of societal benefit, specific cruelty so noisy, that it is compelled but to awaken.”

It's a positive outlook, and I appreciate his knowledgeable stance. Possibly he may turn out correct.

At the same time, the major inquiries endure: can America return to normalcy? Is it possible to restore its standing in the world and its commitment to legal principles?

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 latter is true; that all may indeed be lost. My hopeful heart, however, tells me that we have to attempt, through all methods available.

In my case, as an observer of the press, that means urging journalists to commit, more completely, to their purpose of scrutinizing authority. For different individuals, it could mean working on election efforts, or planning demonstrations, or finding ways to defend voting rights.

Less than a year ago, we lived in a separate situation. In the future? Or three years from now? The truth is, we are uncertain. The only option is try to not give up.

What’s Giving Me Optimism Currently

The interaction I experience during teaching with aspiring reporters, who are both idealistic and practical, {always