The colonists weren't being spied on constantly by everyone's cell phones, smart TV's, cars, computers, smart watches, CCTV cameras, etc., etc. There are programs constantly combing through the fire hose of electronic information collected, looking for patterns, certain phrases, making lists of potential trouble makers based on psychological profiles, demographics, history, social media posts, buying preferences. The Colonists were able to meet in secret in bars and barns, publish anonymous pamphlets, and otherwise spread their message without instantly being identified and located by the British. Today the average person in the 1st world can hardly take a crap without some CIA/NSA server knowing how many lumps of corn are in it. No serious anti-system resistance can even begin to form until that capability is destroyed, or at least seriously degraded. Until that happens, mocking people for not taking action is like one mouse insulting another because the second mouse won't stick its neck in the trap. Stop putting people down because they won't do a suicide run against the system (while you sit back and watch), and start figuring out a way for people to be free of the panopticon.