2-5-09

Art imitating life? – Discerning political realities from the show “24”

As an avid fan of the popular Fox TV show I am pleased that the new season has come back from last season’s tepid plotline. Granted we are only a third of the way through the current crises but the show appears to have left behind the over-the-top plot scenarios and returned to a grittier, more realistic scenario with an enemy we can relate to; a mix between Rwandan style genocide and Al-Queda terrorism.

One of the most interesting characters to me this season is a new one – Renee Walker, the conflicted FBI agent whose “rule of law” mentality has been rocked by her involvement in the terror plot that is unfolding. Renee is being forced to confront the difference between being a cop and being a soldier; the former following the mandates of Miranda in a civilized society, and the latter having to navigate the harsh realities of war.

Consider this: we should have been watching this season last year when Bush was still in office and Obama was still a dark house (no pun intended). President Bush understood that we are at war on our own soil, not engaged in a police action. Unfortunately a large segment of the populace, fed by the agenda driven propaganda we call news, does not understand that. Due to a piling on of unrelated circumstances, however, the season was put on hold for a year. How telling that we watch this story unfold now against the backdrop of President Obama, beginning to unwind the Bush, post 911, policies. Just this morning I read in the WSJ, excerpts of an interview with Dick Cheney. He warns of fresh attacks on our great country if Obama insists on dismantling our enhanced interrogation techniques, and terrorist surveillance program. Obama has already given the order to close Guantanamo. Just wait until these wonderful citizens of the world hit our shores. Let’s see how long it takes them to “lawyer up” and enjoy the benefits that our legal system affords in the same country they are dedicated to destroying.

Renee is a quick learner, however, and it hasn’t taken long for her to figure out that just because the war is on our soil, doesn’t make any less of a war. Her GQ boyfriend at the bureau hasn’t figured that out yet. And then there is Jack Bauer; like Andrew Summers Rowan in 1898, he is taking the message to Garcia. I loved last week’s episode when Renee asked, “How are you going to stop this with only 4 people?” Jack’s simple answer, “We have to.”

As a conservative right now I feel a little like Jack Bauer……but more on that later.