The Power of 1984

In pondering the current fuss over NSA wiretapping, I am wondering just how much of a fuss there would be if George Orwell hadn’t written 1984.  Don’t get me wrong; I have enjoyed reading the book several times, and it provides much food for thought.  However, I think as a nation we are obsessed with fear that it will come to pass.  Bob Barr mentioned Big Brother in his anti-Bush editorial in Time magazine.  He had no need to explain the reference – everyone knows because it such a part of our culture.  It’s quite a tribute to Orwell’s literary powers, but should we really make national security decisions based on fears driven by a work of fiction?