"Big Brother is Watching" More Orwellian Actions from the Bush Administration!

George Orwell published the now famous novel 1984 in 1949.

In this novel, as summarized:

The novel, published in 1949, takes place in 1984 and presents an imaginary future where a totalitarian state controls every aspect of life, even people's thoughts. The state is called Oceania and is ruled by a group known as the Party; its leader and dictator is Big Brother.

In fact, much of the spying on the citizens of Oceania is done through television screens.

In the very first chapter of 1984, Orwell writes:

Behind Winston's back the voice from the telescreen was still babbling away about pig-iron and the overfulfilment of the Ninth Three-Year Plan. The telescreen received and transmitted simultaneously. Any sound that Winston made, above the level of a very low whisper, would be picked up by it, moreover, so long as he remained within the field of vision which the metal plaque commanded, he could be seen as well as heard. There was of course no way of knowing whether you were being watched at any given moment. How often, or on what system, the Thought Police plugged in on any individual wire was guesswork. It was even conceivable that they watched everybody all the time. But at any rate they could plug in your wire whenever they wanted to. You had to live -- did live, from habit that became instinct -- in the assumption that every sound you made was overheard, and, except in darkness, every movement scrutinized.

Pretty scary? Nothing like that in America you say. That is, until today. As reported:

The Bush Administration has asked a federal judge to order the world’s most popular internet search engine to hand over the records of all Google searches for any one-week period, as well as other closely guarded data. The California-based company is to fight the move.

The immediate flashpoint is the Government’s effort to revive an online child pornography law that was struck down by the Supreme Court two years ago.

The US Justice Department requested access to Google’s search records as part of its effort to prove the constitutionality of the 1998 Child Online Protection Act.

Of course, that is for child pornography. Why should we worry if we aren't involved in that sordid activity.

But this is an Administration that has pursued warrantless wiretapping of American citizens. Who seeks information about our library activity. And who now is asking to peak into our internet affairs seeking to spy upon all of our communications.

Our computer screens are now watching us.

1984 is sooner than we think.

It is time for new leadership in America! A government that respects our privacy, guards our freedoms, and follows the law.

Bob