Slouching towards Oceania

You have to admit, it's fairly amazing how much has changed these past eight years. James Leroy Wilson puts it in perspective in a piece called "The Fake Culture War" ...

But imagine that the year is 2000. Think of what you believed and felt back then. Someone comes up to you and asks what you think of this party platform:
1. Forbid non-partisan groups from running ads criticizing candidates during election season.
2. Allow the government to bug your telephone, read your email, and track your Internet surfing without a search warrant.
3. Repeal the Posse Camitatus Act, so as to employ the Army in domestic police activities.
4. Impose a National ID card, which individuals must use to fly and, potentially, to even check out a library book.
5. Employ torture as a routine interrogation measure.
6. Revoke habeas corpus for anyone merely suspected of being a terrorist ...

All this, eight more planks in the party platform and much more here.