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Twelve months back, the landscape was utterly distinct. Prior to the US presidential election, reflective residents could recognize America's deep flaws – its unfairness and inequality – however they could still see it as the US. A free society. A place where constitutional order carried weight. A state guided by a dignified and ethical official, even with his older age and increasing frailty.

Nowadays, this autumn, countless Americans barely recognize the land we reside in. People suspected of being undocumented migrants are rounded up and forced into transport, sometimes denied due process. The East Wing of the “people’s house” – is being destroyed to build a lavish ballroom. The president is targeting his political rivals or perceived antagonists and insisting federal prosecutors surrender a massive sum of public funds. Soldiers with weapons are being sent to US urban areas with deceptive justifications. The defense headquarters, renamed the Department of War, has practically rid itself of day-to-day journalistic scrutiny during its expenditure of possibly reaching close to a trillion USD from citizen taxes. Institutions, attorney offices, media outlets are buckling from leader's menaces, and billionaires are treated like members of the royal family.

“America, only a few months ahead of its quarter-millennium anniversary as the planet's foremost free society, has crossed the limit into autocracy and fascism,” Garrett Graff, stated in August. “Finally, more quickly than I imagined possible, it did happen here.”

Each day begins amid recent atrocities. It is hard to comprehend – and distressing to accept – just how far gone we are, and the speed at which it has happened.

Yet, it is known that the president was properly voted in. Despite his deeply disturbing first term and despite the cautions linked to the awareness of Project 2025 – following the leader directly stated openly he intended to rule as a tyrant only on the first day – enough Americans chose him rather than his Democratic opponent.

While alarming as the present situation are, it's more frightening to realize that we have only been several months into this presidential term. Where will an additional three years of this downfall position us? And what if that timeframe transforms into a more extended duration, as there is not anyone to stop this leader from opting that additional tenure is required, perhaps for national security reasons?

Admittedly, not everything is hopeless. We will have congressional elections in 2026 that may create a new political equilibrium, if Democrats retake either chamber of the legislature. There exist government representatives who are trying to exert some accountability, for example Democratic congressmen that are initiating an inquiry regarding the effort to cash appropriation from the justice department.

And a presidential election in the next cycle could initiate our journey to healing just as last year’s election placed us on this disappointing trajectory.

We see numerous residents protesting in urban areas throughout communities, as they did in the past days during anti-authority protests.

An ex-cabinet member, stated lately that “the slumbering force of America is rising”, exactly as before after the Communist witch-hunt era in that decade or throughout the Vietnam war protests or throughout the Nixon controversy.

During those times, the tilting vessel eventually was righted.

He claims he recognizes the signals of that revival and sees it happening at present. As evidence, he references the recent massive protests, the broad, cross-party resistance regarding a television host's removal and the near-unanimous refusal by journalists to accept military mandates they only publish authorized information.

“The slumbering entity always remains inactive until certain corruption turns extremely harmful, a particular deed so offensive of the common good, specific cruelty so loud, that he is forced other than to stir.”

It’s an optimistic take, and I respect his knowledgeable stance. Possibly he may prove to be right.

At the same time, the crucial issues endure: can America ever recover? Can it retrieve its position in the world and its adherence to legal principles?

Or should we recognize that the 250-year-old experiment functioned for a period, and then – swiftly, totally – ended?

My negative thoughts indicates that the final scenario is true; that everything might be gone. My optimistic spirit, though, advises me that we have to attempt, in whatever ways we can.

Personally, working in journalism analysis, that’s about encouraging reporters to commit, more completely, to their duty of scrutinizing authority. For others, it could mean working on political races, or coordinating protests, or discovering methods to defend electoral access.

Under twelve months back, we were in a separate situation. Twelve months later? Or in several years? The truth is, we cannot predict. The only option is to strive to continue fighting.

What Offers Me Hope Now

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