1984

I was re-reading 1984 (or at lease skimming it) and I was struck by the fact that no one knew, or remembered, how things got to be in the state they were in. Winston, our hero, was born in or around 1949 yet he didn't know how Big Brother came to be.
I think one of Orwell's many lessons is that horrifying dystopias don't necessarily come about in violent revolution. Liberty taken piecemeal is still liberty taken.
A good example of this is the FISA revision that Bush promulagted and was granted by congress. Leave aside the fact that if Bush's interpretation of executive, unitary authority that gave him the power to demand of the telecommunications industry without recourse was correct, no provision in the law granting the telecom providers immunity for cooperating with the president would be required. If Bush's supporters were correct that these changes were necessary to protect national security (an unprovable claim), it doesn't change the fact that the American people are less free and the government is more powerful.

In order to keep us safe.

WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH

I should also point out here that both major political condidates at one point or another said the FISA revisions were a bad idea and both of them voted for it. And we are less free thanks to this $700 billion bailout. And every single time congress tries to help one person, the remainder are less free.

Stop trying to help. Carry out your Article I functions. Go home.