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In late October 2024, the situation was entirely separate. Before the American presidential vote, considerate residents could acknowledge the nation's serious imperfections – its unfairness and inequality – but they still could perceive it as the United States. A democratic nation. A country where constitutional order held significance. A nation guided by a respectable and decent official, notwithstanding his advanced age and growing weakness.

Currently, this autumn, numerous citizens scarcely know the land we inhabit. Persons believed to be undocumented migrants are collected and shoved into vans, at times blocked from fair treatment. The left side of the presidential residence – is undergoing demolition to build a lavish dance hall. The president is targeting his opponents or supposed enemies and requesting the justice department hand over a massive sum of citizen dollars. Soldiers with weapons are being sent across metropolitan centers on false pretexts. The Pentagon, relabeled the Department of War, has – in effect – liberated itself of day-to-day journalistic scrutiny while it uses potentially totaling nearly $1tn in public funds. Colleges, attorney offices, news companies are submitting due to presidential intimidation, and rich magnates are handled as members of the royal family.

“The US, shortly prior to its 250-year mark as the world’s leading democracy, has crossed the brink into autocracy and totalitarianism,” Garrett Graff, wrote in August. “Ultimately, more quickly than I believed likely, it did happen in America.”

One awakes with fresh terrors. And it's difficult to grasp – and distressing to accept – just how far gone we are, and the rapid pace with which it occurred.

Nevertheless, we know that the leader was legitimately chosen. Despite his deeply disturbing first term and even after the alerts linked to the understanding of the conservative plan – even after Trump himself stated openly he planned to rule as a tyrant only on the first day – a majority of citizens selected him instead of Kamala Harris.

Frightening as the current reality is, it’s even scarier to recognize that we are just three-quarters of a year under this leadership. Where will another 36 months of this decline find us? And if that period transforms into a more extended duration, because there is not anyone to restrain this president from determining that additional tenure is required, maybe for security concerns?

Admittedly, all is not lost. We will have midterm elections in 2026 which might create a new governmental control, should Democrats retake either chamber of parliament. There exist government representatives who are attempting to apply some accountability, like lawmakers that are initiating an inquiry regarding the effort to cash appropriation from the justice department.

And a national vote three years from now could initiate our journey to healing precisely as the prior selection put us on this regrettable path.

We see countless citizens protesting in the streets throughout communities, like they performed recently during anti-authority protests.

Robert Reich, commented this week that “the slumbering force of America is awakening”, similar to past after the Communist witch-hunt era in that decade or during the Vietnam war protests or throughout the Nixon controversy.

On those occasions, the listing ship eventually was righted.

Reich says he knows the signs of that revival and sees it happening now. As support, he references the recent massive protests, the widespread, cross-party resistance against a television host's removal and the largely united rejection by reporters to accept government requirements they only publish what is sanctioned.

“The slumbering entity always remains asleep before certain corruption grows too toxic, a particular deed so disrespectful of societal benefit, some brutality so noisy, that the giant is compelled but to awaken.”

It's a positive outlook, and I respect Reich’s experienced view. Maybe he’ll be validated.

In the meantime, the crucial issues persist: is the US able to ever recover? Can it retrieve its standing globally and its devotion to constitutional order?

Or should we recognize that the historical project functioned for a period, and then – suddenly, utterly – failed?

My pessimistic brain suggests that the second option is correct; that everything could be lost. My hopeful heart, nevertheless, tells me that we must try, through all methods we can.

In my case, working in journalism analysis, that means urging journalists to live up, more thoroughly, to their duty of scrutinizing authority. For others, it could mean participating in election efforts, or organizing rallies, or developing approaches to protect voting rights.

Not even one year prior, we existed in a very different place. In the future? Or in several years? The truth is, we are uncertain. The only option is to strive to continue fighting.

What’s Giving Me Encouragement Today

The contact I experience in the classroom with aspiring reporters, who are both idealistic and realistic, {always