Whenever I read anything which portrays a world in which there has been a severe decline in standards, I think to myself, "is this possible." Atwood's tale is compelling and thoughtful in its own conditions, but I wonder if those conditions are reasonable. I wonder if it is really possible to take so much away from most people, and still maintain order. Part of gives me confidence in my future my perception that most americans espouse the notion of justice and freedom, and that any serious violation wouldn't be tolerated. But, events since 2001 have challenged that perception. There is clearly a much greater willingness to sacrifice these ideals when presented with a minor threat like terrorism than I thought. This makes me wonder, what would the american people be willing to sacrifice if presented with a much realer threat? Would they be willing to sacrifice equality? Would they be willing to sacrifice their freedom to choose their own future? How strong is the desire for survival?