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Twelve months back, the landscape was utterly separate. Before the American presidential vote, thoughtful Americans could admit the country's significant faults – its injustices and imbalance – but they could still perceive it as the United States. A democracy. A place where the rule of law held significance. A country headed by a respectable and upright official, despite his older age and growing weakness.

Nowadays, this autumn, many of us hardly identify the country we reside in. Persons believed to be illegal immigrants are collected and pushed into vehicles, sometimes blocked from fair treatment. The East Wing of the White House – is being destroyed to build a lavish dance hall. The leader is targeting his political rivals or supposed enemies and insisting legal authorities surrender a huge total of taxpayer money. Armed military personnel are being sent across metropolitan centers with deceptive justifications. The Pentagon, rebranded the Defense Ministry, has effectively freed itself of day-to-day journalistic scrutiny during its expenditure of possibly reaching nearly $1tn of taxpayer money. Institutions, attorney offices, journalism organizations are yielding from leader's menaces, and wealthy elites are treated like aristocracy.

“The United States, shortly prior to its quarter-millennium anniversary as the world’s leading democracy, has crossed the brink into autocracy and fascism,” Garrett Graff, wrote this past summer. “Finally, more quickly than I believed likely, it did happen in America.”

One awakes amid recent atrocities. It is challenging to understand – and painful to realize – just how far gone our nation is, and how quickly it unfolded.

However, we understand that Trump was legitimately chosen. Despite his profoundly alarming first term and despite the warnings that came with the understanding of the rightwing blueprint – following Trump himself declared plainly he planned to be a dictator just on day one – enough Americans chose him instead of his Democratic opponent.

While alarming as today's circumstances is, it’s even scarier to recognize that we have only been several months into this presidential term. How will three more years of this decline leave us? And suppose the three years becomes something even longer, as there is not anyone to limit this president from opting that additional tenure is essential, perhaps for national security reasons?

Granted, not everything is hopeless. There are congressional elections in 2026 that could establish an alternate political equilibrium, should Democrats recapture one or both houses of Congress. There are public servants who are attempting to exert some accountability, such as Democratic congressmen that are initiating an inquiry regarding the effort to cash appropriation by federal prosecutors.

And a leadership election in the next cycle could begin us down the road toward restoration precisely as last year’s election put us on this regrettable path.

There are millions of Americans demonstrating in public spaces of their cities, similar to recent last weekend at democracy demonstrations.

A former official, commented this week that “the great sleeping giant of the US is awakening”, similar to past following the Red Scare in the 1950s or amid the Vietnam war protests or during the seventies crisis.

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

The author states he understands the indicators of that resurgence and sees it happening at present. As support, he cites the widespread marches, the broad, bipartisan pushback regarding a personality's dismissal and the largely united defiance by media to accept the defense department’s demands they only publish approved content.

“The sleeping giant perpetually exists inactive till specific greed becomes so noxious, a particular deed so offensive of societal benefit, specific cruelty so disruptive, that it is compelled but to awaken.”

It's a positive outlook, and I respect his knowledgeable stance. Possibly he may prove to be right.

At the same time, the big questions remain: will the nation return to normalcy? Is it possible to restore its status in the world and its adherence to the rule of law?

Or should we recognize that the historical project worked for a while, and then – swiftly, totally – ended?

My cynical mind suggests that the second option is correct; that everything might be finished. My positive feelings, nevertheless, convinces me that we have to attempt, in whatever ways possible.

In my case, as an observer of the press, that means encouraging reporters to adhere, more thoroughly, to their mission of scrutinizing authority. For others, it could mean participating in election efforts, or coordinating protests, or discovering methods to protect ballot privileges.

Less than a year ago, we existed in an alternate reality. A year from now? Or in several years? The truth is, we don’t know. All we can do is to strive to persevere.

What Offers Me Optimism Currently

The interaction I experience with students with young journalists, that are simultaneously visionary and practical, {always