What Have We Wrought?: Back when, the liberals could be funny because we lived in a largely conservative society (this means as much about our mores as our policy - certainly, no one is arguing FDR or JFK were "conservative"). Today, the liberal agenda is THE agenda (see political correctness, etc.). That's why people like Dennis Miller, Chris Rock and even the godawful Bill Maher (often funny, but completely unlikable) have popped up; they spew a libertarian vibe, that runs over the liberal signposts (all 3 of them espouse personal responsibility and right to choose one's vice). So, unfortunately, the hippies have become what they once railed (and rioted) against. But, because our government is viewed more as the benevolent benefactor (on the whole, not looking at individual Presidential bents), and such a viewpoint is accepted as such, it's not seen as a great evil.