I’ve never missed an episode of 24. Well-meaning people criticize it, saying it is pro-torture and pro-war propaganda. Its hero, Jack Bauer, played by Kiefer Sutherland, lives in a continual state of urgency, constantly confronting situations that ethically demand, for the greater good of all, that he do a lot of killing and torturing. In repeatedly dishing up, moment to moment, a steady stream of such demands, the writers of 24 would seem to be selling the ideology of war. This may seem the case to the casual viewer of 24, but I, who have never missed an episode, know different.
Take, for example, season two. At the start of the day, agent Jack Bauer is sent out to find and neutralize a nuclear bomb set to go off in Los Angeles that day by agents of a fictional Muslim mid-east nation. Once Jack has averted that disaster
, he finds evidence that this fictional Muslim nation had nothing to do with the attempt to kill millions of Americans. He has to prove it in order to stop the president from starting a war for no good reason. By the end of the season Jack proves that an American oil company executive set the bomb
in an attempt to get a middle east invasion started for reasons of profit.
That second season began airing in the fall of 2002. By the time that season ended in June of 2003, The United States had started a war with a non-fictional middle-eastern country for no good reason. Coincidence? Did 24 make us do it?
My father was a professor of broadcasting. He taught Marshall McLuhan. McLuhan taught that television was turning us all into hypnotized robots without our really knowing it. In the seventies it became fashionable for defense attorneys to blame the violence on television for acts of violence in the streets. In the nineties, newly-appointed Attorney General Janet Reno announced that she was going to get rid of all the violence… on television.
I do not agree with McLuhan. I believe that television is a mirror of who we are, not the cause. If Janet Reno had gotten rid of all the violence in the streets, the violence on television would have mysteriously disappeared. Television has no agenda other than to be watched by as many eyeballs as possible. If ten million people want to see it, television will air it.
Take for example the current season of 24. What at first appeared to be a threat to use chemical weapons on American cities from a rogue African dictator has now proved to be an attempt to hold the safety of Americans hostage by a private military contractor called “Starkwood.” Starkwood has a counterpart in reality called Blackwater.
In his book The Way of the World, published during the final months of the Bush administration, Ron Suskind described the secret White House meetings that led to the current situations, meetings between Bush and Chaney in which no notes were taken, no paper trail left at all. Thes
e backroom discussions led not only to torture and war, but to a new way of spending the government’s money on the means of war. “With almost no public debate, the Bush administration has outsourced to the private sector many of the functions historically handled by the military.”[1] This is a new army, one in which a combat soldier can make six hundred dollars a day taking orders from commanders who have no accountability t
o internationally recognized treaties or rules of war.
In the revised edition of his book Blackwater, Jeremy Scahill writes of the suddenness with which Blackwater became a major force in the world. “Almost overnight, following the great tragedy of September 11, a company that had barely existed a few years earlier would become a central player in a global war waged by the mightiest empire in history.”[2] According to Blackwater’s founder and commander-in-chief Erik Prince, “Our corporate goal is to do for the national security apparatus what FedEx did to t
he postal service.”[3] In other words, our wars are being fought by a new army of profiteers, mercenaries, black ops experts, and what Rob Suskind calls “can-do guys.” “Can-do guys may end up running the world – and doing all sorts of things, no questions asked, in the name of America – unless they can be stopped first. And that’s really an issue between the American people and their government.”[4]
On September 16, 2007, some of Blackwater’s can-do guys killed 17 Iraqis in downtown Baghdad. The resulting inquiries cost Blackwater its license to operate in Iraq. Blackwater has since retrenched, changed its now infamous name to Xe, and issued press statements claiming a new focus on operating training centers.
The fact is that in a free market, profit is its own propelling force. Right now Blackwater (Xe) and other para-military contractors are harvesting several billion dollars a year from the budget of the United States government. Yes, they do want to keep that lucrative contract. And as long as everything is in place, they can expect more of the same from the Obama administration’s adventures in Afghanistan. But one of the things that absolutely HAS to be in place for this slaughter for profit operation to continue is the American public.
What we think, what we pray, what we know, how we spend our money, how we vote, and what we demand from our leaders still makes a difference. If it didn’t, why would they go to all the trouble of lying to us? Tonight’s evening news (April 22, 2009) reports that the Senate Armed Forces Committee is finding that top Bush administration officials ordered torture in order the gain testimony linking 9/11 to Iraq, so that WE would feel better about going to war.
In an interview on Bill Moyers PBS show on 2/15/08, Susan Jacoby, author of The Age of American Unreason raised the question of why Americans were so willing to be lied to after 9/11. She blamed the erosion of historical memory caused by blind hatred of Muslims. As late as 2006, 90% of the American soldiers in Iraq believed Saddam Hussein was responsible for 9/11[5], two years after the 9/11 Commission found otherwise. In his examination of Erik Prince, founder of Blackwater, Scahill found it “particularly scary about Blackwater’s role in a war that President Bush labeled ‘a crusade’…that the company’s leading executives are dedicated to a Christian-supremacist agenda.”[6] As responsible Christians, we must know, preach, and teach that hatred of Muslims makes war possible, palatable, and profitable.
[1] Ron Suskind, The Way of the World (New York, HarperCollins, 2008) 156.
[2] Jeremy Scahill, Blackwater (New York, Nation Books, 2008) 51.
[3] Erik Prince speaking at West 2006 conference, January 11, 2006.
[4] Suskind, 151.
[5] Vincent Bugliosi, The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder (Cambridge, Vanguard Press, 2008) 223.
[6] Scahill, 61.
Posts
Jim, a couple of comments:
ReplyDeleteI think the plots in the episodes of “24” which you cited indicate a deep and fervent wish on our part that all threats to our wellbeing which appear to come from without (i.e., rogue states) in fact come from within (i.e., evil Americans). Surely if that were the case such threats would not seem as unfamiliar, unpredictable and uncontrollable as they appear when not scripted. I wish we were the only bad guys – so much easier to patrol your own backyard – but since sin is universal, I suspect they’re everywhere and not only here.
On Blackwater: I vaguely recall that one of the issues raised when we ended the draft was the separation of the military into professionals apart from the normal citizenry. Some of your concerns about contracted military work (which is logical if regrettable with a reduced domestic force) might reflect this. Perhaps the solution is to re-institute the draft. Surely with so many more members the military wouldn’t need to outsource! And if you are concerned – as I am – that a large standing force might tempt a president into starting unnecessary wars, I have a suggestion. In the legislation reactivating the draft, state that those first called to serve will be current members of Congress. Talk about making the government listen!
WOW! Thanks to you both, Jim and Sande. My nephew, high up in Army special ops, stated one day, "I'm not sure what I could do when I leave." I remember thinking, "everyone would want you, what are you saying?" Thinking about the man he is and how he moves through life, I now understand that he probably does not see the private military contractor business as a viable option for him. I bet he's already determined he could not reconcile himself to working in that arena as a private citizen.
ReplyDeleteI saw Ron Suskind on the Rachel Maddow Show last night. I listened to an incredibly thoughtful, well spoken man and wondered if at times he ever felt like just throwing in the towel early on in his investigation. I was impressed with how he did not focus on "I told you so." Rather, he reminded me just how much we do not listen to the "prophets" in our own lands.
Jim, you wrote, "As responsible Christians, we must know, preach, and teach that hatred of Muslims makes war possible, palatable, and profitable." I agree with you. Yet, your statement reminds me also of so many "others," those markedly "different" from the dominant norm, that people often wage emotional, sometimes intangible wars against in the name . . . ! I think I have response-ability to also know, preach, teach that hatred of the "other" who we don't know or understand makes destruction of creation possible.
Thank you so much for such a challenging post.
Two years ago, the New Yorker ran a fascinating article by Jane Mayer (author of last year's "The Dark Side") about the relation between torture and "24." Apparently U.S. Army Brigadier General Patrick Finnegan, the dean at West Point, met with the show's producers and asked them (unsuccessfully, as it turns out) to stop depicting torture. One of Finnegan's concerns, according to the article, is that "it had become increasingly hard to convince some cadets that America had to respect the rule of law and human rights, even when terrorists did not. One reason for the growing resistance, he suggested, was misperceptions spread by '24,' which was exceptionally popular with his students. As he told me, 'The kids see it, and say, "If torture is wrong, what about '24'?" ' He continued, 'The disturbing thing is that although torture may cause Jack Bauer some angst, it is always the patriotic thing to do.'
ReplyDeleteFor the full text of the article, see http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/02/19/070219fa_fact_mayer?currentPage=1
One comment for Dr. Amesbury about 24 and torture. Even though the writers of 24 have identified themselves as being pro-Bush Doctrine (ergo pro-torture), in telling a story using torture they inevitably reveal torture as leading to more deception, more falsehood, and more suffering.
ReplyDeleteTo Sande: I agree about re-instituting the draft. The Peace movement ( a very important movement) died when the draft ended. Let's bring both back. But as to the rest, the problem is not evil Americans. The problem is greed. This is the main cause of our modern wars. 24 displays this beautifully, showing that we do have many enemies across the world, but greed is the one that bites us the hardest.
To Elaine: Yes, I agree. The reason I single out Muslims is that most Americans believe Muslims are instructed by their religion to make war on non-Muslims and to brutalize women. These untrue beliefs make Muslims easy to hate and make war upon.
Jim--you're so right about people's beliefs about Muslims. We had a wonderful presentation here in Phoenix about the Gulen Movement out of Turkey. A doctoral student from ASU who is a Turkish Muslim woman presented to us about the Foundation for Inter-Cultural Dialogue here in Tempe AZ (other similar but free standing organizations = The Gulen Institute in TX; The Pacific Institute in Orange County, CA; The Rumi Forum in Washington DC). The Foundation and other organiztions associated with what's known as the Gulen Movement serve to educate people about Islam and promote interfaith dialogue. One of the aims of their work is to "counter the impact of the more violent fundamentalist strains in modern Islam" and "undermine whenever it can the infamous 'Clash of Civilizations' thesis." They work hard to provide opportunities for "people of the book" to learn about the beliefs, practices of the other and to identify points of commonality in an effort to promote dialogue and cooperation. These types of organizations really go a long way to help overcome the "untrue beliefs" about Muslims to which you refer.
ReplyDeleteAgain, thanks for your post!
That is so great! This kind of inter-faith dialogue is a wonderful way to promote peace. This Gulen movement is something I would like to know more about.
ReplyDeleteJim, thank you for this post. I watched the first season of 24 almost religiously, then had to give it up because it conflicted with another commitment. But I'm not so sure I agree with your statement "I believe that television is a mirror of who we are, not the cause." While there is no doubt that television reflects our lives and our world, I do think that what we see has a tremendous effect on what we decide as a society is "acceptable" behavior. I'm reminded of a situation with our son, who in his younger days loved watching "The Simpsons". After only a few episodes, we noticed a remarkable change in his behavior and his language, much of which was eerily similar to what he was watching on the show. It finally got so bad that we had to ban the show altogether. Did he become a better person because we instituted the ban? I don't know. But I think the increased incidents of violence in our schools by children who are really not old enough to know better is more a reflection of what they are experiencing through the violence on TV than anything else, IMHO.
ReplyDeleteI, too, agree with the last sentence in your blog, Jim. As Christians we absolutely must communicate to our congregations, whether through preaching or teaching the affects that hatred of Muslims has on our world. The young women who joined us in class here in Phoenix from the Gulen movement were a fabulous example of how we can have open and honest dialogue between Christians and Muslims in an effort to learn from one another and break down the false assumptions that have plagued American society, especially since 9/11. Thank you once again for pointint out this important piece...and the link between the Iraq war in particular and profit. It pains me to think that so many of our men and women in the armed forces have died for (presumably) no other reason than for some already rich company to make a buck.
Jim, my point about the draft is not that it would be a good thing to have it back; I don’t believe that. I simply think that broader citizen participation begets better oversight. (The current economic climate is already encouraging increased participation in the military, anyway.) The peace movement died with the draft, I think, because our interests lie as much or more with living than with dying for ideals or political interests.
ReplyDeleteI never fail to cause controversy with my anti-McLuhan beliefs, especially among parents, because children really are picking up info everywhere they look at all times. My belief is that when you stepped in and showed your son that you cared about what he watched and how it affected him, you spoke to him more directly and had a greater effect on him than Bart Simpson ever could. It probably did make him a better person just knowing how involved in his life you were (and are). Too many parents assign the task of child rearing to the television. Parental neglect sends a loud, blaring message to kids. One of the greatest features of any television is the off switch.
ReplyDeleteJim,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your interesting post. There are many parts I could comment on, but I do want to respond to your statement that you "believe that television is a mirror of who we are, not the cause." There have been many studies that prove otherwise and establish a causal link in both directions.
Television does mirror society to some extent, but it also affects and shapes society. The information we are given (or not), the violence, etc., all become a part of our understanding and way of being. The de-sensitization which occurs when humans are exposed to violence (real or vicariously) is well-documented and is used by the military itself in its training.
Yes, parents have responsibilities to make choices re: what their children will watch and that involvement is crucial. But having spent time in a relatively non-violent society (Sweden) where there is little violence on TV and a different attitude in society regarding the acceptability of violence, I find it very difficult to stomach the amount of violence we have in the US on TV and other media, all in the name of ratings. Not just drama and cop shows, but the local “news” channels, and those insane shows like Jerry Springer, etc.
So yes, while TV does mirror to an extent who we are, it also plays a role in creating who we are.
Forgive me for not knowing the source if the argument I'm going to put forth here. Discussions in Religion and Film class with Dr. Coogan recently led to television programs. One specific topic that was brought up was the notion that the way TV was edited was behaviorally causal. That is, the fast-action-packed television sequences in programs and commercials cause specific neurological activity, much in the same way flashing lights may induce epilepsy. Instead of seizure-like symptoms, however, the effects caused by the editing methods are a kind of endorphin-like. These neurological effects are being tested to conclude its, if any, addictive capabilities. Thus the argument that emerges is that certain television programs and commercials, due to their editing methods are physically addictive. What’s more is that this notion may have been known by TV producers and corporate owners. If this becomes a tried and true fact then it will certainly lend credence to the notion that TV directly affects our behavior.
ReplyDeleteI certainly did not mean that television has no effect on us. But the problem with the study you describe, especially with its incomplete findings, is that its purpose seems to be proving that we are not responsible for what we do because television is hypnotizing us. I think this same dangerous attitude has been taken towards drugs, prescribed and illegal, making them the panacea and finally blaming them for who we are. Yes, of course corporate advertisers have studied subliminal messages, they want to sells us things. Look away. But television producers, of which I have been one, are not trying to hypnotize or addict. They're trying to have a hit. The study you describe, which in spite of all the hooplah has yet to prove its thesis, may someday prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that television is physically addictive, like cigarettes, alcohol, and cocaine. I will still maintain that what we see on television does not affect us as much as what's happening in the home, on the street, in our neighborhoods, and in our world. I'm glad people are doing studies that can help us curb what goes on television. It won't do us as much good as actively supporting world peace, stopping these immoral wars, fighting disease and hunger throughout the world, and curbing injustice. A child in the suburbs who watches violent television is not in the same category as a child in Baghdad who sees his neighbors destroyed by U.S. weapons.
ReplyDeleteI have recently received some very pro-America Anti-Muslim emails that I personally was offended by. When I looked at the people on the email lists who were continuing this chain I was shocked. While they are politically conservative, they never seemed to be hateful or even very judgmental at all. I decided to have a conversation with the person that sent me the emails to understand where he was coming from and to try to make him aware of just how destructive and hateful the emails were that he had sent me. In the end, it seemed to me that he was just very ignorant when it came to Islamic teachings. So much of what we see post 9/11 passes of extremist Muslim behavior and teachings as the norm. Anything can be misquoted and misrepresented and we see that time and time again with the Koran. I definitely think this needs to change in television (fiction and non-fictions alike) but we have little control over that. What many of you do have control over is our churches. Interfaith dialogue would be ideal but not everyone will go for it. Perhaps a quick and simple class on the basic aspects of Islam would be a quick fix and hopefully a step in the right direction?
ReplyDeleteThe Buddha said that there are three poisons; anger, greed and ignorance. We have an overabundance of the second in the corporate media, as well as corporations in general. Ignorance we have in spades, which is also perpetrated by the media repeating the lies of the previous administration. Unfortunately, the US had a lot of anger at the Muslim world in the aftermath of 9/11 which combined to allow for the administration to implement egregious policies that have yet to be dismantled.
ReplyDeleteAs a critical studies of media major, I read McCluhan and was convinced that one can not make generalizations, or measure human response as there is no way to isolate just watching television. That said, although we can not account for a direct relation between violence and tv violence, young ignorant men have been known to take in the violence and let that be the standard they live by. Not enough to measure, but enough to cause concern to a military general.
I had my TV off and unplugged for years before I finally gave it away last year. The guy who took it actually asked if we were giving up television for religious reasons. No.
However, with Fox News saying over and over that they were fair and balanced, people began to believe it. Yet, they were the biggest cheerleaders for the war and and the administration. Fox gave up all ethics to get and keep their audience. Torture became not only acceptable, but thought of as necessary. Time and again, no one noticed that the Bush administration did not want the US soldiers to be subject to international law. Should have had a clue there. I don't know if 24 is responsible for the American disregard for human rights in the area of torture. What I do know is that it is as far away from God, Christ and Buddha as could be, and it has poisoned a generation or more.
What an excellent post Jim!
ReplyDeleteRecently, I was riding in the car with my niece who is an African American Muslim. I was listening to my usual Christian talk radio station. The conversation turned to an Islamic topic. My 13 year old niece became quite offended by what the commentatory was saying (I wasn't paying too much attention as I generally tune out when they rant on about Islam). She was so upset, I said that her assignment would be to grow up, and have her own radio show where she can tell the truth as she sees it. As long as someone else is telling your story, there is no hope for it to be really correct.
In my opinion, media is like money, neutral. It turns on who's controlling it.
Jim- thank you for this well researched blog. Yes, I agree that what we think, what we pray, what we know, how we spend our money, how we vote, and what we demand from our leaders still makes a difference. It is sad, but I think that many people aren't even aware of how our money is spent. The existence of Blackwater(Xe)and their actions are not even on the radar of many people. There are so many persons (especially young adults) who became more involved with the political system this past year...but can these people say they know where their money is going? I believe education is key and we still need to be educated on what is happening on non-US soils.
ReplyDeleteWay back when, I was a communications major and we would always go back and forth between the media and culture question. I think most of us ended up concluding that it is a tangled two way street.
ReplyDeleteYou can use the analogy of a river. At first glace the path of the river seems to be solely determined by the terrain, as the river obviously follows the terrain going along the path of least resistance. But, after spending some time watching the river, he soon noticed that the flow of the river slowly was changing the typography of the bank and riverbed. Rocks we slowly traveling down stream. The riverbank was slowly eroding. All of this would ultimately effect the path of the river. Using this example, the media obviously reflects our culture to a great extent but as it flows throughout society it also beings to shape our cultural consciousness.
On a related note, I think that what issues the media decides to talk about is just as important (if not more important) than what the media says about those issues. For example, I think the most influential part of 24 may not be what the show says about torture but that it continually brings it to the forefront of America’s minds. It tells us that this is an important issue, perhaps more important that other issues. The term used to describe this is Agenda Setting and it is worth considering.
By Sangjae Lee
ReplyDeleteThank you for your insightful posting Jim. Have you watch the movie "Fahrenheit 911?" Before I watch the movie, I thought that I have no connection with Gulf War or Iraq War, because I lived in Korea where is thoudsands miles away from Iraq and America. However, I could not but be angry at the barbarous act of Bush's administration, because the Iraq war begins for black money, especially for some oil companies. How is it possible? One more thing that that I feel ashamed is that President Bush and his firends are mostly conservative Southern Methodists. I think that they throw out their faith for their small advantages, and the fact makes me more shameful as one of Methodists. On the act which is cruel to others for one's advantage, the Bible strictly warns that "they all lack knowledge; they are all mute dogs, they cannot bark; they lie around and dream, they love to sleep. They are dogs with mighty appetites; they never have enough. They are shepherds who lack understanding; they all turn to their own way, each seeks his own gain."
(Isaiah 56:10-11)
Ok true confession time - I can't stand fighting at hockey games but I have watched my share of 24! Yikes, got to work that one out! Thanks for bringing the issue to the forefront! Not much difference in fake torture and real hitting. They both support that hitting and sawing (Yuck - had to remember that season) are entertainment.
ReplyDelete