The whole aim of practical politics," wrote H.L. Mencken in 1920, "is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary."
Posted on 01/16/2007 6:06:00 AM PST by rintense
"How much longer? I hear someone," says the nervous terrorist with a heavy Middle Eastern accent, just before U.S. agents storm a warehouse where a nuclear device is being assembled. Confusion reigns, drama builds, the device is detonated and a mushroom cloud looms over Los Angeles. Such is primetime television in the age of terrorism, or as some critics charge, has "24" gone too far?
"It's the closest television comes to roller coasters," said David Bianculli, television critic for the New York Daily News. "It works well dramatically, and as far as feeding fears, that's what '24' is all about."
Sut Jhally, co-producer and co-director of the film "Hijacking Catastrophe," says the dramatic action in the show creates a dangerous climate in which the public loses some of its perspective on what's real and what's not. Of course that may be a minority opinion given the show's enormous popularity.
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
Last night's episodes did.
During Level Red, go armed 24/7 even in your home in-case of a take-over and especially if you need to stop a bomber on a subway or bus.
Never do what a bad guy tells you to do nor believe bad guys will let hostages go free.
If you need to kill a bad guy; don't discuss your feelings, just do it (Nike version).
No blood for commercialism! No blood for commercialism!
;)
They already have about real life events......9/11 and videos of the towers immediately come to mind....
I wonder if, while everyone was mesmerized by the mushroom cloud, they didn't hear there were 4 more bombs in the country? Rush said there were scenes that would make you go "WTF".....he was correct.
That one's my all time favorite!
I think their presentation of the "rights" argument shows the idiocy of the argument in a time of war.
Precisely!
LOL, ABC doesn't worry about the Hungarian who brought the Brit's financial world to it's knees some years ago. They don't worry or even care that the same person is very busy in the democrat party, gives money to the aclu and other organizations who want to overthrow our form of government.
It's a shame their so-called reporters aren't out there looking for and reporting to us the real news. Thank goodness for FOX, though sometimes I don't watch even their liberals.
Gee Whiz! "JERICHO" has already set off scores of nuclear bombs, so "24" is behind the times - but, their mushroom cloud looked more real than on "JERICHO".
The whole aim of practical politics," wrote H.L. Mencken in 1920, "is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary."
I don't like '24'. Too unrealistic, to begin with, too leftist-oriented. Why submit myself to more indoctrination by leftists. Do you realize that ALL the bad guys are Republicans on that show? Listen to them in the interviews, who their heroes are, etc. and you'll quickly get the drift that most people don't. This series portends to be apolitical, but it's subtle and dangerous...and leftist.
"I only wish Fox had not put "24" up against the Golden Globes. If they are trying to educate Americans, then they need ratings to do it. The Globes slaughtered "24" in the ratings (per Drudge)"
That just shows the desire of the public to see an endless parade of phoney entertainers over seeing some real entertainment.
It wouldn't surprise me if his contract has a clause about this very subject. Given the nature of the show, it could be a ratings disaster if he started publicly "siding" one way or the other.
I learned that the Presidency weakens if it stays in the family (Bush, ding, ding & Clinton, DING DING DING!!!). Just like inbreeding with the royals of years past ;-)
"THe actual answer is, "If someone comes to your home, and threatens you family with harm unless you deliver a package, agree to leave but instead of delivering a "package", stop by your local Walmart, buy a .3006 hunting rifle with a scope and shoot him through the living room window."
Or at least if you're willing to go so far as to bash someone's head in for the package and your victim's firearm is lying there on the floor, take it and save your family. Apparently our lib-appeaser was only willing to fight fellow Americans.
Yeah, but even BEFORE 24 very little was known of his political beliefs.
that is being done to show the reality of tensions that would exist within an administration if something like this were to happen.
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