> a culture of hero-worship of dissenters and free-thinkers.

But those heros are now "offical" heroes. They are not the disruptors and terrorists the possibly were back in the day. So many grow up with the idea that heroes are "heroes" if you learn about them in school, or if they are wearing the badge and obidiently "do their job".

Speak for yourself, we may not be anywhere close to fascism, but I see a whole lot of hero-worship of "real americans" and not a ton of most people fitting the classic free-thinker model these days.

...and there you are! A free-thinker, posting on a public web forum, using (almost) their real name to suggest a view opposite to a common view.

Unthinkable in a fascist state.

Eh, focus on the trends. Artists and scientists are the first to be demonized, and that's happening to some degree -- probably not enough to be noteworthy or anymore than the domestic right in any situation demonizes them, but it's worth keeping an eye on.

If it could happen in the Germany of Liebniz, Mozart and Kant then it could happen anywhere.