There are some things that really aren't any one entity's fault. Our government being a, "bloated tick" would probably be one of those things. Assigning culpability after-the-fact in something so pervasive is by its very nature going to be somewhat arbitrary and/or symbolic.
Agreed. Even greed and self-interest are simply the result of billions of years of evolution; I believe they're character flaws, but the people who succumb to them aren't entirely to blame as the alternative is working against a pretty heavily pre-programmed survival instinct.
That doesn't let them off the hook, either. Like I say, it's not binary, it's a continuum.
As far as lies as society's most dangerous enemy...I think my biggest takeaway from 1984 is that the truth delivered from a skewed perspective is far more dangerous than a lie.
Everything O'Brien says in the Ministry of Love is true. And that's the most terrifying thing of all.
(Since Brent brought up LotR, that idea's in there, too; Sauron is unable to control Denethor directly through his Palantir, but ensures that every time he looks into it he sees only the misery and despair in the world, which ultimately drives him to madness.)