George Orwell: Domestic Surveillance
Imagine a desolate world devoid of all hope, individuality, and creativity. This is a society in which uniformity is a social norm and any expressions of non-conformity are discouraged. The government reigns supreme over all of its citizens’ actions, thoughts, and daily interactions. This envisioning of a civilization seems more plausible in George Orwell’s 1984, this increased role of government may be coming into fruition as domestic surveillance is on the rise in the home of the brave and the land of the free (Orwell). In 2013, computer scientist Edward Snowden leaked classified information which revealed that the United States’ National Security Agency, NSA, participated in domestic surveillance. The government scandal exposed the government
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However, the ensuing effects of this scandal are more pervasive and true cause for concern. If the United States continues its practice of domestic surveillance, the country is likely to become a totalitarian military state. This gradual decline into despotism has been observed in countless third-world countries. A 2015 report by the United Nations revealed the flagrant human rights abuses of Eritrea of Eastern Africa. The most glaring of which was the “pervasive and sinister spy network [which] has infiltrated all levels of daily life” (Dixon). The citizens of Eritrea live in constant fear of their government, the institution which was designed to protect their liberties. The act of domestic spying served as a gateway for more harrowing offenses such as torture, indefinite detainment, and forced enlistment in the military. The country’s government used these spying networks in order to capture and punish its opponents. While the United States is often critical of foreign governments similar to Eritrea’s, they are guilty of the same crimes. Spying is the most unscrupulous human rights offense possible for a government to perpetrate against its own people because it often spurs the government to commit more abuses. With corroboration of domestic surveillance performed by the United States’ government, the future of the country’s citizens seems
However, the ensuing effects of this scandal are more pervasive and true cause for concern. If the United States continues its practice of domestic surveillance, the country is likely to become a totalitarian military state. This gradual decline into despotism has been observed in countless third-world countries. A 2015 report by the United Nations revealed the flagrant human rights abuses of Eritrea of Eastern Africa. The most glaring of which was the “pervasive and sinister spy network [which] has infiltrated all levels of daily life” (Dixon). The citizens of Eritrea live in constant fear of their government, the institution which was designed to protect their liberties. The act of domestic spying served as a gateway for more harrowing offenses such as torture, indefinite detainment, and forced enlistment in the military. The country’s government used these spying networks in order to capture and punish its opponents. While the United States is often critical of foreign governments similar to Eritrea’s, they are guilty of the same crimes. Spying is the most unscrupulous human rights offense possible for a government to perpetrate against its own people because it often spurs the government to commit more abuses. With corroboration of domestic surveillance performed by the United States’ government, the future of the country’s citizens seems