World War II was started by totalitarian governments; but worse than that was how such governments treated the citizens living under their control.

In his book 1984, the government, encapsulated in the persona of "Big Brother," knew everything about everyone; where they were, what they were doing and even what they were thinking much of the time. This was used to keep control of people to an extreme that even the now defunct Soviet Union couldn't reach. Yet with modern technology, the reality of such a government could very well be forming around us and we don't even see it happening.

As we know, the government is actively spying on every one of us. That's the essence of Edward Snowden's message, since he left the employ of the NSA. While that spying is intended to help prevent terrorism, we've seen some in government be awfully free in their use of that term. One can quickly find themselves labeled as a terrorist if the political winds blow the wrong way.

On top of the NSA, big tech is in cahoots with government in a number of ways, most especially with providing information to law enforcement officers, as they seek to solve crimes. But that same information which is being used for the good of tracking down and convicting criminals can very well be used against the rest of us. After all, any of us can become an instant felon, simply by Congress passing a law making something that has been legal, suddenly illegal.

An excellent case in point is the current push by Democrats to restrict our Second Amendment rights. Should they do that, then millions of law-abiding citizens will suddenly be faced with the option of turning in valuable firearms or hiding them from the government. Will the government hunt down those who haven't turned in their guns, using the same tools they are currently using to track down criminals? Only time will tell.