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In late October 2024, the situation was utterly different. Ahead of the national election, thoughtful Americans could recognize the nation's significant faults – its injustices and imbalance – yet they continued to see it as the US. A democratic nation. A country where legal governance carried weight. A country guided by a dignified and decent official, notwithstanding his advanced age and declining health.

Currently, this autumn, countless Americans barely recognize the country we reside in. People believed to be illegal immigrants are collected and pushed into vehicles, sometimes refused legal rights. The eastern section of the “people’s house” – is undergoing demolition for an obscene event space. The leader is targeting his opponents or perceived antagonists and insisting federal prosecutors hand over a huge total of public funds. Armed military personnel are deployed into American cities on false pretexts. The military command, renamed the War Department, has effectively freed itself of regular press examination during its expenditure of potentially totaling nearly $1tn in public funds. Colleges, attorney offices, news companies are submitting due to presidential intimidation, and billionaires are regarded as members of the royal family.

“The United States, shortly prior to its 250-year mark as the globe's top democratic nation, has crossed the limit into autocracy and totalitarianism,” an American historian, stated in August. “Ultimately, more quickly than I believed likely, it did happen here.”

One awakes amid recent atrocities. It is hard to comprehend – and distressing to accept – how deeply lost we are, and the rapid pace with which it has happened.

Nevertheless, it is known that the leader was duly elected. Following his highly troubling first term and following the cautions linked to the awareness of the rightwing blueprint – despite the leader directly said publicly he intended to rule as a tyrant solely at the start – enough Americans selected him over the other candidate.

Frightening as the current reality is, it’s even scarier to understand that we are just several months under this leadership. What will three more years of this deterioration find us? And if the three years turns into a more extended duration, as there is nobody to stop this leader from opting that additional tenure is required, possibly for national security reasons?

Admittedly, all is not lost. There will be congressional elections in 2026 that may establish an alternate governmental control, in case Democrats retake the Senate or House of the legislature. There are elected officials who are striving to exert some accountability, like Democratic congressmen currently starting a probe concerning the try to fund seizure by federal prosecutors.

And a national vote in the next cycle could initiate the path to healing precisely as the previous vote put us on this disappointing trajectory.

We see millions of Americans demonstrating in the streets throughout communities, as they did recently at democracy demonstrations.

A former official, wrote recently that “the great sleeping giant of the US is stirring”, just as it did after the Communist witch-hunt era in that decade or during anti-war demonstrations or in the Watergate scandal.

In those instances, the tilting vessel ultimately corrected itself.

The author states he understands the signs of that resurgence and observes it occurring at present. For proof, he references the large-scale demonstrations, the widespread, multi-faction opposition regarding a broadcaster's firing and the largely united rejection by reporters to agree to government requirements they only publish what is sanctioned.

“The slumbering entity always remains inactive until some venality grows too toxic, an specific act so contemptuous toward public welfare, specific cruelty so noisy, that he has no choice except to rise.”

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

At the same time, the big questions remain: will the nation return to normalcy? Can it reclaim its position globally and its adherence to constitutional order?

Or must we acknowledge that the historical project worked for a while, and then – abruptly, completely – collapsed?

My negative thoughts tells me that the second option is true; that all may indeed be lost. My positive feelings, however, convinces me that we must try, by any means available.

Personally, working in journalism analysis, that’s about encouraging reporters to live up, more fully, to their purpose of holding power to account. For some people, it could mean engaging with election efforts, or planning demonstrations, or developing approaches to defend voting rights.

Under twelve months back, we were in a separate situation. Twelve months later? Or three years from now? The truth is, we are uncertain. Our sole course is to attempt to continue fighting.

What Provides Me Optimism Currently

The contact I experience during teaching with new media professionals, that are simultaneously idealistic and grounded, {always