We still haven't figured out a way around rubber hose decryption, and the sad truth is that we're more likely to draw attention to ourselves by encrypting everything in personal email than we are by trying to fly under the radar.
There is no perfect way around rubber hose decryption, but we've some defenses. Off the top of my head, some significant ones:
1) Proper anonymity, so they don't know who to beat.
2) Deniable encryption.
3) Steganography.
4) (with 2) Sacrificial data of less significance to "give up" after sufficient beatings.
5) Social norms against beatings and similar coercion, extending to extreme circumstances.
6) Governmental transparency.
Neither individually nor collectively are these perfect security (and some are only relevant to certain circumstances) but they help to limit it.
I'm still terrified of a second McCarthyism.