Question: Why criticize U.S. civil liberties standards when there are far worse abusers?
Answer: I can think of three good reasons:
- Because our first responsibility is to make sure that we don't participate in civil liberties abuses ourselves. As voters in a democratic system, we are responsible for the civil liberties violation that occur under our watch.
- Because that's where we have the most power to effect change.
- Because the United States has accomplished so much, relative to notorious human rights abusers, that it's entirely proper to judge it by a higher standard.

