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In late October 2024, the situation was utterly distinct. Prior to the national election, thoughtful Americans could recognize the country's serious imperfections – its inequities and imbalance – but they continued to see it as the United States. A free society. A country where the rule of law held significance. A country headed by a respectable and upright leader, even with his older age and declining health.

These days, as October 2025 ends, numerous citizens scarcely know the country we live in. Persons suspected of being illegal immigrants are detained and shoved into vans, sometimes refused legal rights. The East Wing of the presidential residence – is being torn down to build a lavish dance hall. The president is targeting his political rivals or perceived antagonists and demanding the justice department transfer a massive sum of taxpayer money. Soldiers with weapons are deployed to US urban areas on false pretexts. The military command, renamed the War Department, has practically liberated itself of routine media oversight while it uses potentially totaling almost one trillion dollars of taxpayer money. Universities, legal practices, news companies are submitting due to presidential intimidation, and rich magnates are regarded as nobility.

“The US, just months before its quarter-millennium anniversary as the planet's foremost free society, has crossed the edge into autocracy and totalitarianism,” a noted author, wrote in August. “In the end, more quickly than I believed likely, it occurred in America.”

Each day begins amid recent atrocities. And it is hard to comprehend – and distressing to accept – how severely declined we are, and the speed at which it occurred.

However, we know that Trump was legitimately chosen. Following his highly troubling first term and despite the cautions that came with the understanding of the rightwing blueprint – even after the president personally said publicly he intended to act as an autocrat just on day one – sufficient voters elected him instead of Kamala Harris.

As terrifying as today's circumstances may be, it's more daunting to recognize that we are just several months into this presidential term. How will an additional three years of this deterioration find us? And what if that period turns into an prolonged era, since there is not anyone to restrain this leader from determining that another term is essential, possibly for national security reasons?

Certainly, all is not lost. There will be legislative votes next year that may create a new political equilibrium, in case Democrats regain the Senate or House of Congress. We have public servants who are trying to apply some accountability, like Democratic congressmen that are starting a probe regarding the effort to cash appropriation from the justice department.

And a presidential election three years from now could initiate our journey to healing precisely as the previous vote placed us on this unfortunate course.

There are countless citizens marching in the streets across municipalities, as they did recently at democracy demonstrations.

A former official, commented this week that “the slumbering force of America is rising”, just as it did following the Red Scare in the 1950s or during anti-war demonstrations or in the Watergate scandal.

In those instances, the unstable nation finally returned to balance.

He claims he understands the signals of that awakening and notices it unfolding now. For proof, he cites the large-scale demonstrations, the broad, multi-faction opposition regarding a personality's dismissal and the near-unanimous refusal by journalists to sign military mandates they only publish what is sanctioned.

“The dormant force perpetually exists inactive till specific greed turns extremely harmful, a particular deed so disrespectful toward public welfare, some brutality so loud, that he has no choice other than to stir.”

It’s an optimistic take, and I respect Reich’s experienced view. Perhaps he will prove to be right.

Meanwhile, the major inquiries remain: will the nation return to normalcy? Can it retrieve its status in the world and its adherence to legal principles?

Or do we need to admit that the national endeavor worked for a while, and then – swiftly, totally – ended?

My pessimistic brain suggests that the second option is accurate; that everything could be finished. My hopeful heart, however, convinces me that we need to strive, through all methods available.

Personally, working in journalism analysis, that involves encouraging reporters to adhere, more completely, to their duty of scrutinizing authority. For others, it might involve working on political races, or planning demonstrations, or finding ways to safeguard voting rights.

Not even one year prior, we were in an alternate reality. In the future? Or three years from now? The reality is, we cannot predict. Our sole course is to attempt to not give up.

What Offers Me Hope Now

The engagement I encounter in the classroom with aspiring reporters, who are equally idealistic and grounded, {always