Yes, times have changed alright. I think when a population gets to a certain size action taken by it becomes ineffectual because the leaders [perpetrators] are so far removed from the people. Also personal moral corruption defeats people's ability to stand up for what is just. The successive US governments didn't start the practice of insane repression and overt illegal acts of war, it's as old as time itself. Nor is the practice of decrying it new, Plenty of people are on record from Nazi Germany, Stalin's Russia, The British Empire and back in the Roman days decrying acts of their governments.

The point to be learnt from all those examples and the current ones I believe is that it's pointless to fight the system. Many will argue that but they of course are not actually "Fighting the system" in any meaningful way, they are just talking about it, and I have no interest in engaging in cheap talk, of delusions of personal power. I find my time is better spent scamming the government and keeping myself off it's radar. Which is basically what they do. Scam the populace and try to keep their acts hidden.