Many thanks to those who contributed, in the comments, to identifying those regimes that had used children to inform upon parents.
The results are here at Takimag.
Crippled Jesus Christ on a crutch people, 1984 was a warning, not an instruction manual!
I believe that payoff line is also stolen from somewhere or another….for which also many thanks.
Ah, Earth Day. Supposedly founded by one so principled he murdered his girlfriend because she didn’t do as he told her.
Not too subtle, these environmentalists, are they?
Tim
You might be interested in this article by Mark Steyn on exactly the same subject, published today.
http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/04/22/don%E2%80%99t-joke-in-little-stasi-on-avon/