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Twelve months back, the situation was utterly separate. Ahead of the American presidential vote, considerate citizens could acknowledge the country's serious imperfections – its inequities and imbalance – yet they could still identify it as the US. A democracy. A place where the rule of law held significance. A state guided by a honorable and decent official, despite his advanced age and growing weakness.

Nowadays, this autumn, countless Americans hardly identify the country we inhabit. Persons alleged as undocumented migrants are collected and pushed into vans, sometimes blocked from fair treatment. The left side of the presidential residence – is being destroyed to build a lavish event space. The president is targeting his political rivals or supposed enemies and insisting federal prosecutors transfer an enormous amount of public funds. Soldiers with weapons are being sent into American cities on false pretexts. The defense headquarters, relabeled the Department of War, has practically rid itself of regular press examination while it uses potentially totaling nearly $1tn from citizen taxes. Colleges, legal practices, media outlets are buckling from leader's menaces, and billionaires are handled as aristocracy.

“America, just months before its 250^th birthday as the world’s leading democracy, has fallen over the edge toward dictatorship and fascism,” a noted author, commented in August. “Ultimately, more quickly than I imagined possible, it transpired in this country.”

Every morning starts amid recent atrocities. It is difficult to grasp – and agonizing to acknowledge – how deeply lost we have become, and the rapid pace with which it occurred.

Nevertheless, we know that the leader was legitimately chosen. Following his deeply disturbing previous administration and even after the warnings associated with the knowledge of the conservative plan – even after the leader directly declared plainly he planned to be a dictator only on the first day – enough Americans chose him rather than his Democratic opponent.

As terrifying as today's circumstances are, it's more daunting to recognize that we’re only nine months into this presidential term. What will another 36 months of this decline find us? And what if the three years turns into an prolonged era, because there is not anyone to stop this leader from determining that a third term is required, maybe for security concerns?

Granted, all is not lost. There will be legislative votes in 2026 that may create a new political equilibrium, if Democrats regain one or both houses of the legislature. There are public servants who are striving to impose a degree of oversight, for example lawmakers that are starting a probe into the attempted cash appropriation from the justice department.

And a presidential election in the next cycle could start us down the road toward restoration precisely as last year’s election put us on this unfortunate course.

There are numerous residents protesting in urban areas across municipalities, similar to recent recently at democracy demonstrations.

Robert Reich, stated lately that “the great sleeping giant of the nation is stirring”, just as it did after the Communist witch-hunt era in that decade or during anti-war demonstrations or throughout the Nixon controversy.

During those times, the tilting vessel finally returned to balance.

The author states he knows the indicators of that resurgence and observes it occurring currently. As support, he points to the large-scale demonstrations, the broad, cross-party resistance against a television host's removal and the near-unanimous refusal by journalists to accept the defense department’s demands they report only authorized information.

“The sleeping giant perpetually exists dormant until some venality becomes so noxious, an specific act so contemptuous toward public welfare, specific cruelty so noisy, that the giant is forced but to awaken.”

It's a positive outlook, and I respect Reich’s experienced view. Maybe he’ll turn out correct.

At the same time, the crucial issues persist: will the nation return to normalcy? Is it possible to restore its position in the world and its adherence to constitutional order?

Or do we need to admit that the national endeavor worked for a while, and then – suddenly, utterly – failed?

My cynical mind tells me that the second option is correct; that everything could be gone. My positive feelings, nevertheless, tells me that we need to strive, in whatever ways available.

For me, as a media critic, that means pushing media professionals to commit, more fully, to their duty of scrutinizing authority. For some people, it might involve engaging with congressional campaigns, or coordinating protests, or discovering methods to protect voting rights.

Less than a year ago, we lived in a very different place. A year from now? Or in several years? The fact is, we cannot predict. The only option is try to persevere.

What Offers Me Hope Now

The engagement I have in the classroom with aspiring reporters, who are equally visionary and practical, {always