George Orwell’s 1984 presaged a modern age in which Big Brother – an autocratic and technologically sophisticated government – is watching its citizens. But what Orwell never presaged was that the citizens would take to the technology with gusto and start watching the government itself!

And so we have the case of the not-so-modest government official in Nanjing who’s been caught in a photo clocking into work with a much too expensive watch and smoking upscale cigarettes. According to the Shanghai Daily:

“The watch would have cost at least 100,000 yuan (US$14,500) in China, while each carton of the Nanjing 95 Imperial cigarettes sells for 1,800 yuan.

“Zhou, 48, was also found to drive a Cadillac to work.

“Photos of him wearing the luxury watch were posted on most China’s major Web portals and were widely discussed among Netizens.

Some Netizens, wondering how a public servant could afford such an expensive lifestyle, filed complaints with related government departments.”

Jiangning district officials quickly responded – through the internet – that Zhou was being investigated for possible wrongdoing. And if that wasn’t enough…

Media reports also revealed Zhou’s son was engaged in the housing-material business. There are suspicions of illegal dealings between father and son. However, no evidence has been released so far.

Government Suits: The Sons and Daughters of the Revolution are Watching You!