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One year ago, the landscape was completely different. Before the national election, considerate residents could acknowledge America's significant faults – its inequities and inequality – yet they still could identify it as America. A democracy. A land where legal governance meant something. A country guided by a honorable and decent official, notwithstanding his advanced age and growing weakness.

These days, this autumn, many of us scarcely know the country we reside in. Persons believed to be undocumented migrants are rounded up and forced into vans, occasionally blocked from fair treatment. The left side of the presidential residence – is undergoing demolition to build a lavish event space. The leader is persecuting his opponents or alleged foes and requesting federal prosecutors transfer an enormous amount of citizen dollars. Soldiers with weapons are being sent into American cities on false pretexts. The Pentagon, rebranded the War Department, has – in effect – freed itself of routine media oversight while it uses what could amount to close to a trillion USD of taxpayer money. Institutions, law firms, journalism organizations are buckling due to presidential intimidation, and wealthy elites are regarded as nobility.

“The US, only a few months ahead of its 250^th birthday as the globe's top democratic nation, has fallen over the brink into authoritarianism and extremism,” an American historian, commented recently. “Finally, faster than I imagined possible, it occurred in this country.”

Each day begins to new horrors. It is challenging to understand – and agonizing to acknowledge – how deeply lost we are, and how quickly it unfolded.

However, we understand that the leader was duly elected. Despite his deeply disturbing initial presidency and following the cautions linked to the understanding of the conservative plan – following Trump himself declared plainly he planned to be a dictator just on day one – enough Americans elected him rather than the other candidate.

As terrifying as the current reality may be, it's more frightening to recognize that we’re only three-quarters of a year into this presidential term. What will another 36 months of this deterioration leave us? And suppose the three years turns into something even longer, since there is nobody to restrain this ruler from opting that a third term is necessary, maybe for defense purposes?

Certainly, all is not lost. There are midterm elections the coming year which might create a new political equilibrium, if Democrats retake either chamber of the legislature. There are government representatives who are attempting to impose a degree of oversight, like representatives who are starting a probe regarding the effort to money grab by federal prosecutors.

And a national vote in the next cycle could begin our journey to healing just as last year’s election put us on this regrettable path.

We see numerous residents protesting in public spaces throughout communities, similar to recent in the past days at democracy demonstrations.

An ex-cabinet member, stated lately that “the great sleeping giant of America is awakening”, just as it did after the Communist witch-hunt era in the 1950s or throughout anti-war demonstrations or throughout the seventies crisis.

During those times, the unstable nation ultimately corrected itself.

Reich says he understands the signs of that revival and notices it unfolding currently. For proof, he cites the widespread marches, the extensive, bipartisan pushback regarding a television host's removal and the near-unanimous refusal by journalists to accept military mandates they report only approved content.

“The dormant force perpetually exists dormant before specific greed grows too toxic, some action so disrespectful toward public welfare, some brutality so noisy, that he has no choice other than to stir.”

It's a hopeful perspective, and I respect Reich’s experienced view. Possibly he may prove to be right.

Meanwhile, the crucial issues remain: is the US able to regain its footing? Is it possible to restore its status in the world and its commitment to legal principles?

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

My pessimistic brain suggests that the final scenario is correct; that all may indeed be gone. My hopeful heart, however, convinces me that we must try, through all methods available.

In my case, working in journalism analysis, that’s about urging journalists to adhere, more thoroughly, to their mission of overseeing leadership. For others, it may be working on political races, or organizing rallies, or discovering methods to protect voting rights.

Not even one year prior, we lived in an alternate reality. In the future? Or after another term? The reality is, we are uncertain. Our sole course is to attempt to persevere.

What’s Giving Me Encouragement Today

The contact I experience during teaching with young journalists, who are both hopeful and practical, {always