Chronology -- ch. 1: Background on George Orwell. The life of George Orwell / David Morgan Zehr -- Orwell sees no contradiction between patriotism and socialism / George Orwell -- Orwell was highly principled / V.S. Pritchett -- Orwell was morally right on major issues / Christopher Hitchens -- ch. 2: George Orwell's Nineteen eighty-four and the abuse of power. Nineteen eighty-four is terrifying because it rings true / Irving Howe -- Nineteen eighty-four depicts the irrationality of totalitarianism / Alex Zwerdling -- Nineteen eighty-four predicts the downfall of totalitarianism by the working class / Richard J. Voorhees -- In Nineteen eighty-four absolute compliance is demanded / Alfred Kazin -- Nineteen eighty-four warns of the post-World War II threats to personal liberty / Robert F. Gleckner -- Nineteen eighty-four is about the misuse of power / Julian Symons -- Nineteen eighty-four promotes the values of the common people / Stephen Ingle -- Nineteen eighty-four warns of the dehumanization of industrialism / Erich Fromm -- The capitalist past in Nineteen eighty-four in presented positively / Arthur Eckstein -- Orwell's private nightmare proved prophetic / T.R. Fyvel -- Orwell accused the leftist intelligentsia of abuse of power in Nineteen eighty-four / John David Frodsham -- ch. 3: Contemporary perspectives on the abuse of power. Islamic totalitarianism is today's version of fascism / Douglas Streusand -- Autocracies are threatened by the financial crisis / Joshua Kurlantzick -- Wiretapping by the George W. Bush administration was illegal and should be investigated / Patrick Radden Keefe -- Technology makes surveillance more prevalent / Peter Funt -- For further discussion -- For further reading.