The Case for Restraint
Posted in Americana on December 12th, 2007 by ДмитрийAs I continue to hear about my government’s ongoing fight for its right to unwarranted surveillance, waterboarding of untried suspects, and itchy trigger fingers pointed at Persia, Russia, China and who knows where else, I keep remembering a quote I read several months ago:
Human rights are part of what it means to be civilised. Locking up suspected terrorists—and why not potential murderers, rapists and paedophiles, too?—before they commit crimes would probably make society safer. Dozens of plots may have been foiled and thousands of lives saved as a result of some of the unsavoury practices now being employed in the name of fighting terrorism. Dropping such practices in order to preserve freedom may cost many lives. So be it.