The Politics of the Man Behind "24"

For those who are fans of the Fox network series "24," this article from the New Yorker is great.

Each season of “24,” which has been airing on Fox since 2001, depicts a single, panic-laced day in which Jack Bauer—a heroic C.T.U. agent, played by Kiefer Sutherland—must unravel and undermine a conspiracy that imperils the nation. Terrorists are poised to set off nuclear bombs or bioweapons, or in some other way annihilate entire cities. The twisting story line forces Bauer and his colleagues to make a series of grim choices that pit liberty against security. Frequently, the dilemma is stark: a resistant suspect can either be accorded due process—allowing a terrorist plot to proceed—or be tortured in pursuit of a lead. Bauer invariably chooses coercion. With unnerving efficiency, suspects are beaten, suffocated, electrocuted, drugged, assaulted with knives, or more exotically abused; almost without fail, these suspects divulge critical secrets.

Even if you've never watched 24 but wondered what it's about, this article will more than fill you in; in fact, by the time you're done, you may want to jump in, even though the current season is several episodes advanced.

Warning, though: the article is VERY long, though interesting, so grab a Coke or something before you sit down to read it.