‘Big Brother’ and Surveillance

The excellent commentary by Simon Davies, “Big Brother Truly Is Watching You” (June 13), should sound a wake-up call to all Americans. His only omission was the gender change that has taken place in our Orwellian society. Big Brother has become Big Momma.

As a senior citizen, I have witnessed the relentless abrogation of individual rights taking place in our country over the last 40 years, a suppression of personal freedoms unparalleled since the Stalinization of Russia. Most of this has come in the form of bureaucratic edicts purportedly designed to protect us from ourselves. Such Momism has reached ludicrous extremes, for example: State law prohibits the sale of thermostats for backyard hot tubs that allow water temperatures to exceed 104 degrees, in spite of the fact many people find 106-108 to be most satisfying and relaxing.

Can it be less than glaringly obvious to anyone that a state which feels compelled to regulate the temperature of its citizens’ bathwater has too much power, too much money and too many employees who haven’t enough to do?

DON DRAPER

Dana Point

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Davies’ piece offers an interesting yet already outdated discussion of the U.S. government’s exploitation of modern technology toward the end of eroding the privacy of its citizenry. With the recent revelations concerning the [National Security Agency’s] ultra-secret project, Echelon, George Orwell’s vision is now complete.

MARK TARBELL

Walnut