How do you feel about surveillance and the idea of a "Big Brother" society?

Hey ya’ll. I’m doing a project for this class I’m in about Big Brother societies and I need to focus on an American perspective. How do you feel about increased surveillance? If you can tell me your thoughts, your sex, age, and location, that would be most helpful in order to keep a steady statistical sort of data.

Other things to consider:
Do you feel there has been an increase in surveillance?
If so, how have you seen this manifest itself?
Do you feel safer? Why?
In what ways have you noticed or encountered surveillance in your area?
Any general thoughts are deeply appreciated. Thanks!

In the UK, it has gone too far.

The term "Big Brother", as you know, comes from George Orwell’s novel "1984" (read it!), which was set in Britain. In my opinion surveillance here now greatly exceeds the snooping Orwell condemned. For instance, if you read the book the hero escapes surviellance by going into poorer ("prole") areas of London: the cameras normally only covered areas where the government elite worked and lived. But there are hundreds of cameras all over London. Similarly, Winston Smith escaped to the countryside, but now we have satellite surveillance.

Excessive surveillance in general leads to a breakdown in society, becasue everybody suspects everybody else. The demoralisation leads to economic difficulties because a demoralised workforce does as little as possible and because crushed people do not yeild the innovations that are crucial to the success of a developed economy.

A prime example of a country that was led to disaster by excessive surveillance was East Germany.

These are general points: as a foreigner I would not wish to express an opinion concerning the extent or desirability of surveillance in the US.