[npwalters]

To your point as to why the extreme measures now and not then. I took a small piece form a previous reply

"It was a completely different world then. There was no internet - it hadn't been invented yet. There was no such thing as a portable telephone. There was no cable TV, and color TV was still new enough that many households didn't own a color TV set. "

This is a double edged sword. Parts of the government aided by the media are much more likely to shape our thoughts and beliefs now. There are no more sheeple now than in previous eras but those who control information have a MUCH greater influence.