The question is not how far removed you are, but do you believe human nature is the same and therefore you are capable of becoming the same. In the US there is a strong constitutional tradition against certain encroachments, yet all evidence points to the people accepting the same erosion even with those safeguards.

You might be willing to stand in front of the Capitol (or so you say), but not so for most people, especially given the right "patriotic" motivation, poverty, or fear.