Gregory's Server"There is no reason we can't go back to that"
Absolutely there is reason we can't, and it's people who make shitloads of money keeping things the way they are combined with the political environment post Citizen's United.
It's not insurmountable, we just have to vote with our attention and wallets for things that truly support our ideals. Get a local newspaper subscription. Buy local. Stop watching youtube. Run Linux. Do what you can, don't stress on what you can't.