Big Brother, my buddy

From a NYT article, here's perhaps one of the most euphemistic/unconvincing quotes I've heard heard. It's from an article about a program in Texas to curb truancy by attaching electronic monitoring devices to kids:

Dave Leis, a spokesman for NovaTracker, which makes the system used in Dallas, said electronic monitoring did not have to be punitive. “You can paint this thing as either Big Brother, or this is a device that connects you to a buddy who wants to keep you safe and help you graduate.”