How Hollywood Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the (Ticking) Bomb = TORTURE, "24"

[L. Coyote]

How Hollywood Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the (Ticking) Bomb
Scott Horton - March 1, 2008 - http://harpers.org/archive/2008/03/hbc-90002531


In the last eighteen months, Antonin Scalia, one of the most influential judges in American history, has twice suggested that he would turn to a fictional television character named Jack Bauer to resolve legal questions about torture. The first time was in a speech in Canada, and the second, only three weeks ago, in an interview with the BBC. This is evidence of the unprecedented influence of a television program on one of the most important legal policy issues before our country today. And it is, or should be, very troubling.

Most of our discussion of torture has focused on the arena of policy formation and debate. We have seen the issues tackled from the perspectives of the law, of ethics and from a utilitarian stance. That is, we have had a focus on the discussion which has occurred in Washington, within the upper echelons of Government, the courts, Congress, major think tanks and the academy. But in this process we are ignoring the forum in which public opinion on these questions may well be settled: namely in the broadcast media.

Of course, one of the most pervasive memes of our modern political experience has been the notion of the “liberal media,” namely that key figures in broadcast and print media are more liberal than the average American, and that news and entertainment reflect their “liberal” bias. The torture issue provides an interesting opportunity to test this thesis. ..........

[Hydra]

1. Bwahaha!

The CIA gives the 24 staff inside info for propaganda purposes, and Scalia wants to use it in legal proceedings?

Did I go to sleep and wake up in Oceana?