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One year ago, the environment was utterly separate. Prior to the American presidential vote, thoughtful citizens could admit America's deep flaws – its injustices and disparity – but they could still identify it as America. A democracy. A country where constitutional order held significance. A nation led by a dignified and ethical public servant, even with his older age and increasing frailty.

These days, this autumn, many of us hardly identify the nation we reside in. Individuals believed to be illegal immigrants are detained and pushed into transport, occasionally denied due process. The eastern section of the presidential residence – is being torn down for a grotesque ballroom. Donald Trump is harassing his adversaries or supposed enemies and insisting federal prosecutors transfer a massive sum of taxpayer money. Soldiers with weapons are dispatched into American cities under fabricated reasons. The Pentagon, relabeled the Defense Ministry, has – in effect – liberated itself of routine media oversight as it spends possibly reaching nearly $1tn in public funds. Colleges, law firms, journalism organizations are buckling from leader's menaces, and billionaires are treated like aristocracy.

“The US, only a few months ahead of its quarter-millennium anniversary as the globe's top democratic nation, has fallen over the edge toward dictatorship and extremism,” a noted author, wrote in August. “In the end, more quickly than I imagined possible, it transpired in America.”

One awakes with fresh terrors. It is challenging to understand – and painful to realize – how severely declined we are, and the rapid pace with which it occurred.

Yet, it is known that the president was duly elected. Despite his highly troubling initial presidency and despite the cautions linked to the knowledge of the rightwing blueprint – despite Trump himself declared plainly he planned to be a dictator solely at the start – enough Americans chose him rather than the other candidate.

Frightening as today's circumstances may be, it's more frightening to recognize that we have only been nine months into this presidential term. How will another 36 months of this deterioration position us? And if that timeframe becomes something even longer, as there is no one to limit this leader from deciding that additional tenure is necessary, possibly for national security reasons?

Certainly, all is not lost. There will be legislative votes the coming year which might establish an alternate governmental control, in case Democrats retake the Senate or House of parliament. There exist public servants who are striving to apply certain responsibility, such as Democratic congressmen currently initiating an inquiry concerning the try to cash appropriation from legal authorities.

And a leadership election three years from now could begin the path toward restoration precisely as the previous vote put us on this regrettable path.

There are millions of Americans protesting in public spaces throughout communities, similar to recent recently during anti-authority protests.

A former official, commented this week that “the great sleeping giant of the US is rising”, similar to past following the Red Scare in that decade or throughout the sixties activism or in the Watergate scandal.

On those occasions, the listing ship eventually was righted.

He claims he recognizes the signals of that resurgence and sees it happening at present. For proof, he cites the widespread marches, the extensive, bipartisan pushback regarding a television host's removal and the largely united rejection by reporters to agree to military mandates they only publish authorized information.

“The slumbering entity perpetually exists dormant until specific greed turns extremely harmful, some action so disrespectful of the common good, specific cruelty so disruptive, that he is forced except to rise.”

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

In the meantime, the big questions endure: can America regain its footing? Can it retrieve its status in the world and its devotion to constitutional order?

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

My negative thoughts tells me that the latter is correct; that all may indeed be lost. My hopeful heart, nevertheless, advises me that we need to strive, through all methods available.

In my case, working in journalism analysis, that means urging journalists to adhere, more thoroughly, to their duty of holding power to account. For others, it may be engaging with congressional campaigns, or coordinating protests, or developing approaches to defend voting rights.

Not even one year prior, we lived in an alternate reality. In the future? Or after another term? The fact is, we cannot predict. The only option is to strive to not give up.

What Provides Me Optimism Currently

The engagement I have in the classroom with new media professionals, who are equally hopeful and practical, {always