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One year ago, the environment was entirely distinct. Before the national election, thoughtful Americans could acknowledge the nation's serious imperfections – its unfairness and imbalance – yet they continued to perceive it as the United States. A democracy. A land where the rule of law carried weight. A nation headed by a honorable and ethical official, despite his advanced age and increasing frailty.

Currently, in late October 2025, many of us barely recognize the country we reside in. Individuals suspected of being unauthorized foreigners are rounded up and pushed into vans, occasionally blocked from fair treatment. The East Wing of the presidential residence – is undergoing demolition to build a lavish dance hall. Donald Trump is targeting his opponents or supposed enemies and demanding legal authorities hand over a huge total of citizen dollars. Armed military personnel are dispatched into American cities on false pretexts. The Pentagon, relabeled the Department of War, has practically rid itself of day-to-day journalistic scrutiny during its expenditure of what could amount to almost one trillion dollars from citizen taxes. Institutions, legal practices, media outlets are buckling from leader's menaces, and billionaires are regarded as nobility.

“America, shortly prior to its 250-year mark as the planet's foremost free society, has crossed the brink toward dictatorship and fascism,” an American historian, commented in August. “Ultimately, faster than I believed likely, it did happen in this country.”

One awakes with fresh terrors. It is difficult to grasp – and agonizing to acknowledge – how severely declined we are, and the rapid pace with which it has happened.

Nevertheless, it is known that the president was duly elected. Following his highly troubling previous administration and despite the cautions associated with the awareness of the conservative plan – following Trump himself stated openly he intended to rule as a tyrant only on the first day – enough Americans selected him instead of the other candidate.

While alarming as the present situation are, it's more frightening to recognize that we are just nine months under this leadership. What will another 36 months of this decline find us? And what if that timeframe becomes something even longer, because there is not anyone to restrain this ruler from opting that another term is required, possibly for defense purposes?

Admittedly, not everything is hopeless. We will have congressional elections next year that could establish an alternate governmental control, if Democrats recapture one or both houses of Congress. There exist elected officials who are attempting to apply a degree of oversight, such as Democratic congressmen that are starting a probe concerning the try to cash appropriation from legal authorities.

And a national vote in the next cycle could initiate our journey toward restoration just as the previous vote put us on this regrettable path.

There are millions of Americans protesting in the streets throughout communities, as they did recently during anti-authority protests.

A former official, wrote recently that “the slumbering force of the nation is awakening”, exactly as before post-McCarthyism in that decade or amid the Vietnam war protests or in the Nixon controversy.

On those occasions, the tilting vessel eventually was righted.

Reich says he understands the signals of that resurgence and notices it unfolding currently. As support, he cites the large-scale demonstrations, the extensive, bipartisan pushback to a personality's dismissal and the largely united defiance by media to agree to military mandates they solely cover what is sanctioned.

“The slumbering entity perpetually exists dormant before certain corruption turns extremely harmful, a particular deed so disrespectful toward public welfare, some brutality so disruptive, that the giant is forced other than to stir.”

It's a positive outlook, and I appreciate Reich’s experienced view. Perhaps he will be validated.

Meanwhile, the big questions endure: will the nation return to normalcy? Can it retrieve its standing globally and its commitment to the rule of law?

Or do we need to admit that the historical project functioned for a period, and then – swiftly, totally – ended?

My negative thoughts indicates that the latter is accurate; that all may indeed be lost. My hopeful heart, though, tells me that we must try, through all methods we can.

For me, as a media critic, that involves urging journalists to commit, more completely, to their mission of overseeing leadership. For some people, it may be participating in election efforts, or coordinating protests, or finding ways to defend electoral access.

Under twelve months back, we were in an alternate reality. Twelve months later? Or after another term? The reality is, we cannot predict. The only option is to strive to persevere.

What Offers Me Optimism Currently

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