by Bryan Solari

Created on: January 31, 2007   Last Updated: April 19, 2007

The future of American life is beginning to look like a sort of trap rather than a boundless freedom. Where the ability to choose between options was once highly valued in this nation, today lawmakers have created legislation that in practice infringes upon the rights of the public. In George Orwell's novel 1984, we read about a society that was brainwashed and controlled by their government, or as the book called it, stripped of their rights by "Big Brother" . The point of this essay is not to say that we have become such a society. Rather, the point of this essay is to explain and give examples of how, if we do not have an active role in perceiving and discerning the laws that govern us, we will be inching closer to such a dim world. The Bush administration has implemented various acts and measures that increase the power and oversight of the government in many different aspects. By focusing mainly on the PATRIOT Act, and on the more minor actions of the administration as well, I will attempt to portray a public that is teetering on the edge, in great danger of losing its self-governance.

When the PATRIOT Act was introduced, there was little controversy about its initiation into American society. However, after September 11th, it seems that the government began to strengthen the act with other provisions meant to keep the "homeland" secure. By looking at the act, we began to see some striking similarities to the policies that "Big Brother" encouraged.

A disturbing similarity is the use of wiretaps to survey the public. In Section 225 of the PATRIOT Act, we find a provision that says that, "no cause of action shall lie in any court against any provider of a wire or electronic communication servicethat furnishes any informationin accordance with a court order or request for emergency assistance under this Act" The main point of this provision is that it protects providers like Sprint against lawsuits from their customers being tapped by the government. However, the most important aspect of this provision is that it provides the basis for wiretaps to be placed without informing those people being wiretapped. This is an invasion of privacy because it invades the private lives of Americans, whether or not their guilt has been proven in the court of law. It seems that the telescreens in 1984 are on the same line of thinking as wiretaps are in our era. They are implemented without regard for guilt or innocence.

The activities in 1984 serve to immobilize the majority

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