[delucain]

I agree. What they're currently doing with the data doesn't even approach the totalitarian system from 1984, but the amount of data they are collecting on us (and the amount of data there is to collect) is magnitudes greater than Orwell could have predicted.

Basically, the framework is there. All it will take is one overzealous nationalist, one religious extremist, or one extremely greedy, immoral, charismatic corporate puppet and their resources for evil are bigger than at any other time in history. Look at how well Hitler tracked Jews with basic 1940's punch card technology. Imagine if he had had access to the NSA databases of today. I apologize for going all Godwin's Law here, but it seems relevant.

What truly amazes me is how complacent we are about it as a society. 1984 was obviously popular for a reason, but when the set up for that book is staring us in the face, we don't even seem to blink. Maybe we'll be different when (not if) the abuses of this kind of power start happening...

[adventured]

It doesn't even take those examples. Several more Obama type presidents, with a willing Congress, a few more security events / tragedies, an ever more invasive homeland security and police system - would do the trick. We'd be deep into a real police state.

[yutah]

two more Obama type president might be enough