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One year ago, the landscape was utterly different. Prior to the US presidential election, reflective citizens could acknowledge the nation's significant faults – its unfairness and disparity – but they still could identify it as the US. A democratic nation. A country where the rule of law carried weight. A country guided by a honorable and ethical leader, even with his advanced age and increasing frailty.

These days, this autumn, countless Americans barely recognize the land we reside in. People suspected of being illegal immigrants are detained and shoved into vehicles, occasionally blocked from fair treatment. The left side of the “people’s house” – is undergoing demolition for an obscene event space. Donald Trump is persecuting his adversaries or supposed enemies and demanding the justice department surrender a huge total of public funds. Soldiers with weapons are being sent into American cities on false pretexts. The defense headquarters, renamed the Defense Ministry, has – in effect – freed itself of day-to-day journalistic scrutiny during its expenditure of possibly reaching almost one trillion dollars from citizen taxes. Institutions, attorney offices, news companies are yielding under the president’s threats, and wealthy elites are treated like nobility.

“America, shortly prior to its quarter-millennium anniversary as the world’s leading democracy, has fallen over the edge into autocracy and extremism,” an American historian, wrote recently. “In the end, swifter than I imagined possible, it transpired here.”

Every morning starts with fresh terrors. And it's hard to comprehend – and agonizing to acknowledge – just how far gone our nation is, and the rapid pace with which it unfolded.

Yet, we know that Trump was legitimately chosen. Despite his highly troubling first term and even after the alerts that came with the awareness of the rightwing blueprint – despite Trump himself said publicly he would be a dictator solely at the start – enough Americans elected him rather than Kamala Harris.

While alarming as the present situation is, it's more frightening to understand that we are just three-quarters of a year into this presidential term. Where will another 36 months of this decline leave us? And suppose the three years becomes something even longer, as there is no one to restrain this ruler from determining that a third term is necessary, perhaps for security concerns?

Admittedly, not everything is hopeless. There are congressional elections next year which might create a new balance of power, in case Democrats recapture one or both houses of parliament. There exist public servants who are attempting to impose certain responsibility, such as Democratic congressmen that are initiating an inquiry regarding the effort to cash appropriation from the justice department.

And a leadership election in the next cycle could initiate the path to recovery just as the previous vote placed us on this regrettable path.

There are numerous residents protesting in public spaces throughout communities, like they performed last weekend at democracy demonstrations.

A former official, stated lately that “the dormant powerhouse of the US is rising”, exactly as before after the Communist witch-hunt era during the fifties or throughout the sixties activism or in the Watergate scandal.

During those times, the listing ship finally returned to balance.

The author states he knows the signals of that resurgence and notices it unfolding now. As evidence, he cites the recent massive protests, the extensive, multi-faction opposition against a broadcaster's firing and the largely united rejection by reporters to sign the defense department’s demands they only publish authorized information.

“The slumbering entity consistently stays asleep before specific greed becomes so noxious, a particular deed so disrespectful toward public welfare, some brutality so loud, that the giant has no choice but to awaken.”

It’s an optimistic take, and I respect the author's seasoned opinion. Possibly he may be validated.

In the meantime, the big questions endure: is the US able to regain its footing? Can it reclaim its standing in the world and its devotion to legal principles?

Or must we acknowledge that the national endeavor succeeded temporarily, and then – swiftly, totally – ended?

My cynical mind tells me that the second option is correct; that everything could be finished. My positive feelings, however, convinces me that we have to attempt, through all methods possible.

For me, working in journalism analysis, that means pushing media professionals to live up, more completely, to their duty of scrutinizing authority. For some people, it may be engaging with congressional campaigns, or coordinating protests, or finding ways to defend ballot privileges.

Less than a year ago, we existed in a separate situation. A year from now? Or after another term? The truth is, we cannot predict. The only option is try to not give up.

What Provides Me Encouragement Today

The interaction I have during teaching with young journalists, that are simultaneously visionary and grounded, {always