These United Soviet States

The Administration's war on the press continues unashamedly: apparently no press were allowed to wander freely at any inaugural events, but had to either stay in the media pen or be accompanied by an escort at all times.

Their real purpose only occurred to me after I had gone home for the night, when I remembered a brief conversation with a woman I was interviewing. During the middle of our otherwise innocuous encounter, she suddenly noticed the presence of my minder. She stopped for a moment, glanced past me, then resumed talking.

No, the minders weren't there to monitor me. They were there to let the guests, my sources on inaugural night, know that any complaint, any unguarded statement, any off-the-reservation political observation, might be noted. But maybe someday they'll be monitoring something more important than an inaugural ball, and the source could be you.

This is the experience of Iraqi scientists, not allowed to speak with the western press without government chaperones, or of Russian dissidents, always looking over their shoulders.
But apparently nowadays the thought police are us.

(via This Modern World)