I think what the difference that I observe now is that all of what @Smokin Joe listed out above used to be what most of America looked upon as fringe.
All that supported and were involved in that stuff were seen as "freaks, weirdos, pinkos, commies, fruits" by most of America.
Now, it seems to be pretty mainstream. And conservatism is viewed as fringe by the mainstream. A reversal if you will....
So much that was on the fringe or in the closet back then is parading down main street, in full view of the cameras.
It's still fringe behaviour, for the most part.
The perception of it has changed, however, with a news media which promote it, and entertainment media which promote it from movies to music to print.
When 1/3 of the couples on the 'buy a house' shows are homosexual, when 1/4 of the actors are, when drug use is casually portrayed or pushed on the television (something every commercial break on cable), when a kid can see more sex and violence watching the ads for the shows on later that night than a kid in the 60s would have seen before puberty, it isn't so much the culture which has shifted so severely (yet) but the impression of that culture. Some influences have disproportionate weight in the media, making them seem more normal than they are, and often squelching complaint or resistance.
That has a way of establishing what people expect as a societal norm, which really explains why so much science fiction sees a dismal future dystopia of scavengers sifting through the ashes of a greater civilization or stealing the gleanings from each other.
With such a rosy vision of tomorrow, that, too will influence expectations, which will influence outcomes.
So, aside from the few elites who live lavish lives, most can expect to eke out a bare existence in a barren world colored by squalor. Perfect set of expectations for a communist tomorrow.
