US military tells Jack Bauer: Cut out the torture scenes ... or else!

[sabra]

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article2264632.ece

US military tells Jack Bauer: Cut out the torture scenes ... or else!

In the hugely popular television series 24, federal agent Jack Bauer always gets his man, even if he has to play a little rough. Suffocating, electrocuting or drugging a suspect are all in a day's work. As Bauer - played by the Emmy Award winner Kiefer Sutherland - tells one baddie: " You are going to tell me what I want to know - it's just a matter of how much you want it to hurt."

But while 24 draws millions of viewers, it appears some people are becoming a little squeamish. The US military has appealed to the producers of 24 to tone down the torture scenes because of the impact they are having both on troops in the field and America's reputation abroad. Forget about Abu Ghraib, forget about Guantanamo Bay, forget even that the White House has authorised interrogation techniques that some classify as torture, that damned Jack Bauer is giving us a bad name.

The United States Military Academy at West Point yesterday confirmed that Brigadier General Patrick Finnegan recently travelled to California to meet producers of the show, broadcast on the Fox channel. He told them that promoting illegal behaviour in the series - apparently hugely popular among the US military - was having a damaging effect on young troops.

According to the New Yorker magazine, Gen Finnegan, who teaches a course on the laws of war, said of the producers: "I'd like them to stop. They should do a show where torture backfires... The kids see it and say, 'If torture is wrong, what about 24'?

"The disturbing thing is that although torture may cause Jack Bauer some angst, it is always the patriotic thing to do."

[RedSock]

1. perfect

their response to the leaking of torture photos? ban cameras among the troops.

their response to accusations of torture? criticize a tv show.

amazing.

[Ian David]

6. The army is saying that their training methods are so weak, that television can undermine it. n/t

[truthisfreedom]

2. It's never about doing the right thing. It's always about appearances.

It's never about the truth. It's always about the spin.

[DUyellow]

3. "The kids see it and say, 'If torture is wrong, what about 24'?"

If your kids are watch 24 then you have bigger problems then that question.

[pberq]

4. These guys give the term hypocrisy a new meaning

[Ian David]

5. Why does the military hate our troops? n/t

[Bluebear]

14. ...

:spray:

[Double T]

7. Sanitize '24' like bushco attempts to sanitize HIS 'wars'..........

NOWAY!!!!

[Ganja Ninja]

8. Lighten up it's really no different than a little hazing.

Just ask Rush.:sarcasm:

[Julius Civitatus]

9. "24" is wingnut propaganda

I know, it's a TV show, but both the Bush admin and wingnuts everywhere have used situations straight form the plot of "24" to justify torture. The show thrives in fearmongering, imho.

[Windy]

11. You obviously don't watch the show

Anyone who thinks it is supportive of the administration is NUTS. Right now the plot revolves around a coniving and dangerous advisor to the president and an evil vice president.

Last season was a slap the administration too.

I honestly can't believe the Fox allows the story lines.

If rightwingers find it supportive of their cause, they are delusional!

[jollyreaper2112]

18. irony

Remember Babylon 5? Karl Rove told the show's creator directly that he was a huge fan. Several other bigshots in the White House were also fans. Now figure a way to wrap your brain around that and the Clark administration in the show.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

13. You clearly haven't seen the show.

[BrokenBeyondRepair]

15. yes it is

[DerBeppo]

10. If one of these moral crusaders actually watched the show

then they'd know the overall theme of the show is the unreliability of torture. Even on the show it tends to yield misinformation or leads to the death of an person of interest, forcing them to work even harder to stop the day's emergency.

[RaleighNCDUer]

17. Perhaps THAT is why the military is objecting --

they don't want their people to know how unreliable it really is.

[Hekate]

12. If Fox's propaganda is telling people that torture works when it doesn't...

If I'm understanding this correctly...

...I can tell you why that's bad and why the US military should want it stopped. And why all of us should want it stopped.

First and foremost, repeated scenes desensitize viewers and reinforce the idea that torture is acceptable whether in reality it works or not.

Second, it reinforces the idea that torture actually works as an interrogation technique to extract information. And that's been proven false. After awhile the victim will tell his captors any story at all to make them stop.

If you want a military that is cruel and brutalizing beyond the necessities of their job, by all means inculcate this message. Then by gods we can have ourselves a military machine like all the worst bastards in history: Pol Pot, Stalin, Hitler, and many more. They can take average decent young men and women and turn them into monsters.

If you want a populace that accepts the above, keep telling them that the only way for the Fatherland -- er, Homeland -- to be safe is to have a military force that freely uses torture.

It's encouraging that we still have some military commanders who see that.

I. Want. My. Country. Back.

Hekate

[Initech]

16. After last night's episode, even *I* agree they need to scale back the torture.

:yoiks:

[Bill219]

19. I know what you are talking about...

when Fayed picked up that big ass power drill and walked toward Morris, I actually had to take a "bathroom break". That scene was very intense

[Initech]

20. Yeah, that scene scared the shit out of me...

:scared:

I went and watched some Reno 911 between episodes just for something less tense.

[Seldona]

21. A power drill? On primetime television?

I am glad I do not let my children near television beyond movies and educational material.

I don't watch it. Were the 'good guys' the ones wielding the drill? The thought of it makes me ill.

[Feron]

22. No.

The terrorists tortured a CTU agent in order to 'persuade' him to make their bomb functional.

That scene actually didn't bother me, but then again I enjoy violent entertainment. However I'm completely against torture in real life.

I simply don't see how a TV show can interfere with military training. Education should triumph over ignorance. Once you learn about something, the TV/movie depiction becomes laughably stupid.

It makes me wonder about the quality of instructors they have.

[Seldona]

23. Thanks for the reply.

I guess it doesn't matter who wielded it. Just a disturbing image for me at least.