Summary:
The book examines the ethical dilemmas faced by liberal democracies when responding to the threat of terrorism, exploring the balance between security and human rights. It discusses the concept of a "lesser evil" as a pragmatic approach to making difficult moral choices in the context of political violence and counter-terrorism strategies.
Key points:
1. The Lesser Evil Argument: Ignatieff discusses when it's okay for democracies to use questionable methods like surveillance or torture to stop terrorism, but stresses these should be rare exceptions.
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20
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