why is it that...

liberals, known for approving of a bigger government for regulatory purposes, like to reference events in the current administration to those of the events in George Orwells book 1984; yet conservatives, known for approving of smaller government, seem to shake these comparisons off as comments of crazy people? among conservatives and liberals, you would think quotes from a book predicting all encompassing governmental power would be on the lips of the right, not the left, if at least not more so. Why do right wingers scoff at comments about big brother, when the fears the book represents is near exactly what their core values stand against? Why do they stand aside as neo-cons pick away at our freedoms and blur the lines of our civil liberties? Yes these things should carry the attention of both parties, but considering their stances on the size and relative importance of the government, you would think there would be more outcry about things like the patriot act and the torture scandels than liberals have been these past few years. Are they really so desperate to cling to influential power in the government that they will ignore their very core values about how much into our private lives the government can peak? The right has seemed to fall into a trap, forced to trade their partys long held beliefs in exchange for power, with liberals trying to buy back their souls for them.

Let me spell it out for you, >>1.

Legislators commonly hold their seats for decades.  They have power and are unlikely to be dethroned.  It is therefore very much to their advantage to have a larger government.  The larger the government, the better it can be abused (hello, nepotism and bribes for contracts).  Therefore, the way a legislator maximizes his own personal well-being is by increasing the power of central government, thereby increasing his own ability to hand out the favors that make him rich and keep him in office.

FUCK America.