Next time I'll just wait for Yglesias

Because he says it better than I have in my many attempts:

Overall, the Eustonites seem terribly worried that citizens of democratic countries are more concerned about their own governments' abuses than they are about the abuses committed by other states. There's been a lot of this sentiment kicking around the world ever since 9/11 and it's genuinely bizarre. Both the American and Iranian governments torture people. But as an American, there's very little I can do about Iranian policy. I can write blog posts condemning it, which will accomplish nothing except bolster my own sense of self-righteousness. As regards American policy, I can vote for candidates who are likely to halt or limit the torturing, and I can attempt to persuade my fellow citizens to do the same. Is it so crazy to focus on the latter more than the former?

TPMcafe