I didn't read "The Fountain Head", but I did read "Atlas Shrugged", although a long time ago. I seem to remember Rand weaving in her distaste for communisim and socialism (and her philosophy of objectivism which I never completely understood), but for me the main thrust of the novel was what you mentioned being the theme of "Fountainhead" -- that mediocrity foreshadows the eventual fall of a society. In the society Rand portrays, individual creative/mental efforts, leadership, talents, and productivity were not being appreciated nor encouraged. The average-Joe/moocher demanded to share the rewards of those who contributed to the advancement of the society. I read an interview with Rand about the book; she states that this novel, portraying the "near future", is representative of what is happening to our society -- moving away from capitalism and toward dictatorship. Have we made any progress toward overcome mediocrity? I don't think so, not with the misguided efforts to reform education in this country. What is even more rampant is apathy. We've become too complacent. Children are not taught to question things. (I was an educator. Not blaming educators but the broken wheels of the politics behind school systems.) Mediocrity and apathy certainly seem to open the door to a dictatorship. Scarier still is the society portrayed by Margaret Atwood in "The Handmaid's Tale." Look what right wing religion mixing into government did for Gilead, or what used to be the US. Frightening real, too. Let's form a mediocrity/separation of church and state posse!