So you know all this "Torture Memo" business? I keep hearing right-wing Bush/Cheney apologists saying things like, "Now, now, we can't go prosecuting the lawyers and other people who came up with these bad ideas because then people won't feel free to give advice in the future." This strikes me as really stupid.
My question is: Why is that a bad thing? Wouldn't it actually be a good thing if people gave advice that's thoughtful and useful instead of advice that's reckless and crappy? Why would anyone want to ensure that bad advice-givers continue to have influence? Wouldn't it have been a good thing if these crappy advice-givers had been aware that their terrible ideas could get them into trouble? Isn't deterrence one of the reasons we have laws in the first place?
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