How Freedom Works

Atrios with the money shot: "If they can do it to Padilla, they can do it to you." Everyone should remember that. The reason why you should always be wary of taking away the freedoms of other people is that one day the other person could be you. So the next time you think about sticking up for holding people indefinitely without legal counsel, ask yourself if you would like to be held without access to a lawyer or our justice system. The next time you think it's okay to administer electric shocks to people, ask yourself if you would like to be picked up at random and have electric shocks administered to you.

I know it's a huge mind-stretch for most people to even think about putting themselves in the shoes of the "other person." But if we don't start soon, we may blow the whole thing.