How much have things inverted? Not changed inverted 180 deg. Here's a good tidbit or two to consider on that.
In the 1960's organizations like the CIA, the FBI and the NSA were viewed by the Democrats and the counter-culture progressives of that era, AKA hippies, as the absolute pinnacle of everything that was rotten in America. The mother source of misinformation and subterfuge, and perhaps they had a point in that.
UC Berkley was the "birthplace of the free speech movement".
Fast forward to today and it's the Democrats and "Progressives" feverishly defending the CIA and NSA as our god's, saviors, and arbiters of truth, even when, or more like because, they spy on American citizens, politicians and even journalists, and release information that is damaging to their political opponents. This is third-world banana republic stuff but nary a peep from the press.
Berkley has now been the scene of several riots and arson in order to ... Prevent free speech on campus. Because anything I disagree with enough or hurts my feelings is "hate speech"
The revolutionary change agents of "progress" and fighting against "the system" have now fully become the mainstream totalitarians. They are the system and the culture, and they are completely blind to this.
They still need something to attack and fight though. They still need "a cause to champion", which is where a lot of the nuttiness we see today comes from.
They still need a righteous cause, like say ... gender-neutral bathrooms.
It's all quite amusing to witness.