DoubleSpeak

Doublespeak is a technique used in Orwell's 1984 to control thought through the use of contradictory euphemistic langauge. For example, the protagonist worked at falsifying history at the "Ministry of Truth."
Despite the pervasiveness of this charade, the characters in this cautionary tale appeared not to be fooled by these euphemisms.

Too bad the same thing cannot be said about modern day America. We are surrounded by doublespeak.

Consider:

• Voluntary compliance - From the IRS website: "A system of compliance that relies on individual citizens to report their income freely and voluntarily, calculate their tax liability correctly, and file a tax return on time."
• Mandatory volunteering - High school students in some districts are required to "volunteer" for community service in order to receive a diploma. Given compulsory attendance requirements and the unpaid nature of "volunteering," how does this not violate the constitutional prohibition on involuntary servitude, a.k.a slavery.
• Department of Education - This agency was set up during the Carter Administration, and its existance coincides with the decline of nation-wide scholastic performance.
• Department of Commerce - Ironically enough, this agency actually impedes commerce.
• Department of Agriculture - How can an agency that pays farmers not to grow things be called the "Department of Agriculture?"
• Department of Justice - A perpetrator of countless injustices: Ruby Ridge, Waco, Elian Gonzales, Jose Padilla. Note that not a single member of this agency has spent a day in jail or has been discharged from government service for these miscarriages of justice.
• Department of Defense - Prior to 1949 it was known as the War Department. The name change may be appropriate, as the United States has not engaged in a declared war since the name change. However, it has been ordered to engage in "police actions" and attacks that do little to defend the people of the United States.
• Conservative Repubican - During the Clinton Administration, Rush Limbaugh and his imitators steadfastly maintained that the Republicans stood for fiscal responsibility. The last budget submitted by the Republican controlled Congress and signed by the Republican president, was for 2.5 trillion dollars--dwarfing any of the "tax and spend" Democrat budgets.
• Pro-Life - Many of Bush's supporters are Pro-Life, meaning they are opposed to the death of unborn American children. They apparently don't care the deaths about Iraqi or Afghan children, or adults for that matter.
• "Christians" - I am not referring to those who actually follow the teachings of Jesus. I am referring to the hypocrits that support the Bush administration and the lie-based undeclare war in Iraq. I don't remember mendacity and killing being favorably portrayed in the New Testament.

We already have pervasive surveillance. We have the doublespeak. How much further is America willing to go towards implementing Orwell's dystopia?