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One year ago, the environment was entirely distinct. Before the US presidential election, considerate residents could admit the nation's serious imperfections – its inequities and disparity – but they continued to perceive it as the United States. A democracy. A land where legal governance held significance. A country headed by a honorable and decent leader, notwithstanding his older age and increasing frailty.

These days, this autumn, countless Americans scarcely know the country we inhabit. Persons alleged as undocumented migrants are collected and pushed into vehicles, at times blocked from fair treatment. The East Wing of the presidential residence – is undergoing demolition for an obscene event space. The leader is harassing his political rivals or perceived antagonists and demanding the justice department hand over a massive sum of citizen dollars. Uniformed troops are being sent to US urban areas under fabricated reasons. The defense headquarters, renamed the War Department, has – in effect – liberated itself of routine media oversight while it uses what could amount to nearly $1tn of taxpayer money. Universities, legal practices, journalism organizations are buckling due to presidential intimidation, and rich magnates are treated like members of the royal family.

“The United States, just months before its 250-year mark as the planet's foremost free society, has crossed the edge into authoritarianism and totalitarianism,” a noted author, wrote recently. “Finally, faster than I thought feasible, it transpired in America.”

One awakes to new horrors. And it is challenging to understand – and painful to realize – just how far gone our nation is, and the speed at which it occurred.

Yet, we know that Trump was properly voted in. Despite his profoundly alarming first term and following the warnings linked to the knowledge of the conservative plan – even after the leader directly stated openly he planned to be a dictator only on the first day – a majority of citizens selected him over Kamala Harris.

While alarming as the current reality are, it’s even scarier to recognize that we have only been three-quarters of a year under this leadership. What will an additional three years of this decline position us? And suppose the three years transforms into an prolonged era, since there is nobody to restrain this ruler from deciding that a third term is essential, maybe for national security reasons?

Admittedly, not everything is hopeless. There will be congressional elections next year that could create a new governmental control, if Democrats recapture either chamber of the legislature. There exist government representatives who are trying to exert a degree of oversight, for example lawmakers that are launching an investigation regarding the effort to money grab from the justice department.

And a leadership election in the next cycle could start us down the road to recovery precisely as the prior selection set us on this unfortunate course.

We see millions of Americans marching in urban areas throughout communities, like they performed recently in the No Kings rallies.

An ex-cabinet member, commented this week that “the dormant powerhouse of the nation is awakening”, similar to past post-McCarthyism in that decade or amid the Vietnam war protests or throughout the seventies crisis.

During those times, the tilting vessel eventually was righted.

Reich says he understands the signals of that resurgence and observes it occurring at present. As support, he references the recent massive protests, the extensive, multi-faction opposition regarding a broadcaster's firing and the largely united defiance by media to accept government requirements they report only what is sanctioned.

“The dormant force perpetually exists asleep until specific greed turns extremely harmful, a particular deed so disrespectful of societal benefit, specific cruelty so loud, that the giant is forced other than to stir.”

It's a positive outlook, and I appreciate Reich’s experienced view. Possibly he may prove to be right.

In the meantime, the big questions endure: can America ever recover? Can it retrieve its position internationally and its commitment to constitutional order?

Or should we recognize that the 250-year-old experiment functioned for a period, and then – suddenly, utterly – failed?

My pessimistic brain tells me that the latter is true; that everything might be lost. My hopeful heart, however, advises me that we need to strive, through all methods possible.

For me, working in journalism analysis, that’s about urging journalists to live up, more fully, to their mission of overseeing leadership. For others, it could mean working on political races, or coordinating protests, or finding ways to defend voting rights.

Not even one year prior, we were in an alternate reality. Twelve months later? Or after another term? The fact is, we cannot predict. Our sole course is to attempt to continue fighting.

What’s Giving Me Hope Now

The contact I encounter during teaching with aspiring reporters, who are both hopeful and realistic, {always