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In late October 2024, the situation was utterly separate. Before the national election, thoughtful Americans could admit the nation's serious imperfections – its unfairness and imbalance – yet they still could see it as the US. A democracy. A country where the rule of law held significance. A nation led by a respectable and upright official, notwithstanding his elderly years and declining health.

Nowadays, in late October 2025, countless Americans hardly identify the nation we inhabit. Persons suspected of being unauthorized foreigners are collected and shoved into vehicles, sometimes refused legal rights. The left side of the presidential residence – is being destroyed for a grotesque event space. The president is targeting his political rivals or supposed enemies and requesting federal prosecutors hand over a huge total of taxpayer money. Soldiers with weapons are deployed into American cities with deceptive justifications. The military command, relabeled the Department of War, has – in effect – rid itself of regular press examination during its expenditure of what could amount to close to a trillion USD from citizen taxes. Colleges, law firms, media outlets are yielding under the president’s threats, and billionaires are handled as nobility.

“The United States, just months before its 250-year mark as the world’s leading democracy, has tipped over the edge into autocracy and extremism,” an American historian, wrote this past summer. “In the end, swifter than I imagined possible, it did happen in America.”

Each day begins to new horrors. And it is difficult to grasp – and painful to realize – how severely declined our nation is, and the speed at which it has happened.

However, we know that Trump was legitimately chosen. Following his highly troubling first term and even after the alerts linked to the awareness of Project 2025 – despite Trump himself declared plainly he planned to rule as a tyrant just on day one – sufficient voters elected him rather than the other candidate.

As terrifying as the current reality may be, it's more frightening to understand that we have only been several months into this administration. What will another 36 months of this decline find us? And if the three years transforms into something even longer, as there is no one to restrain this ruler from opting that additional tenure is essential, maybe for defense purposes?

Granted, there is still hope. We will have legislative votes the coming year which might bring a different governmental control, in case Democrats recapture the Senate or House of the legislature. There exist public servants who are attempting to exert some accountability, for example representatives who are launching an investigation into the attempted money grab from the justice department.

And a leadership election three years from now could start the path toward restoration exactly as the prior selection put us on this disappointing trajectory.

We see countless citizens protesting in the streets of their cities, as they did in the past days in the No Kings rallies.

A former official, wrote recently that “the great sleeping giant of the nation is stirring”, just as it did after the Communist witch-hunt era in the 1950s or during the Vietnam war protests or during the seventies crisis.

During those times, the listing ship eventually was righted.

The author states he understands the signs of that revival and sees it happening currently. As support, he points to the large-scale demonstrations, the widespread, cross-party resistance to a personality's dismissal and the near-unanimous defiance by media to sign the defense department’s demands they report only authorized information.

“The dormant force consistently stays asleep till some venality becomes so noxious, a particular deed so contemptuous toward public welfare, certain violence so noisy, that it is compelled other than to stir.”

It's a positive outlook, and I respect the author's seasoned opinion. Maybe he’ll turn out correct.

At the same time, the crucial issues persist: can America return to normalcy? Can it retrieve its standing in the world and its adherence to the rule of law?

Or do we need to admit that the historical project functioned for a period, and then – abruptly, completely – collapsed?

My pessimistic brain indicates that the latter is correct; that everything could be lost. My positive feelings, though, convinces me that we need to strive, through all methods we can.

Personally, working in journalism analysis, that’s about pushing media professionals to adhere, more fully, to their duty of overseeing leadership. For some people, it may be participating in election efforts, or coordinating protests, or finding ways to protect ballot privileges.

Not even one year prior, we lived in a separate situation. A year from now? Or in several years? The fact is, we are uncertain. Our sole course is to attempt to continue fighting.

What Provides Me Optimism Currently

The contact I experience with students with new media professionals, who are equally hopeful and grounded, {always