How Far Will They Get? Torture Porn And The Jack Bauer Republicans

The article in today's  Crooks and Liars is one of the most disturbing things I have read in a long time.

It's sad how conservatives have been influenced by FOX's "24" and adopted Jack Bauer's persona all for themselves. The torture scenes seem to have seeped into their consciousnesses and made them believe that this is how all good Americans should handle impossibly dangerous situations. ... Check out the [below] video ... It's torture porn.

The extent of the torture and violence of 24 led the dean of West Point, U.S. Army Brigadier General Patrick Finnegan, to visit the set of 24 last fall to:

...voice their concern that the show's central political premise--that the letter of American law must be sacrificed for the country's security--was having a toxic effect.

And now that "toxic effect" is taking hold in bold and almost unimaginable of ways.

Two former veterans of the Iraq war are running for congress. They both were fired from the military under charges of murder and torture of detainees.  And they've both made the charges the centers of their campaigns. 

The Daily Beast has labeled them Jack Bauer Republicans.


The Daily Beast:

Last week, Ilario Pantano won the Republican nomination in North Carolina’s 7th District...

... In April 2004, Pantano killed two unarmed Iraqi detainees, twice unloading his gun into their bodies and firing between 50 and 60 shots in total. Afterward, he placed a sign over the corpses featuring the Marines' slogan “No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy” as a message to the local population.   

His excuse was "self defense." Two unarmed men. 60 bullets. Self defense. Sidetrack: In the musical Chicago, one of the women on Murderers' Row explains her case: "I was carving up the chicken for dinner minding my own business when in comes my husband Wilber in a jealous rage. 'You been screwin' the milkman?' He was crazy. 'You been screwin' the milkman?!' And then that's when he ran into my knife. He ran into my knife ten times!" (The Cell Block Tango). 

Sorry, but the analogy was too good to pass up. 60 bullets can't be any part of a defense. It's just as ridiculous as someone running into a knife ten times. Both are the definition of overkill. And the sign only demonstrated his intense hatred for the people.

While Pantano says that he doesn't want his campaign to dwell in the past, the same cannot be said for retired Lt. Col. Allen West, running in Florida’s 22nd District to replace Democratic Rep. Ron Klein.

West was forced to retire from the Army and fined $5,000 after he admitted to apprehending an Iraqi policeman he suspected of planning an ambush, watching as his troops beat him, and then firing a gunshot by the Iraqi’s head in order to scare him into divulging information. West said the decision saved lives by preventing an ambush. But no plot was ever discovered and the policeman in question later told The New York Times that he had no knowledge of any attacks.

"... I made the decision where I sacrificed my military career for the lives of my men, ...I will sacrifice every ounce of me to be your next congressman."

Of course, Sarah Palin has endorsed West on her Facebook page claiming he served "with distinction." But she also pointed out (unwittingly) the scary part of his campaign: his popularity has garnered twice as much in campaign donations than the cash raised by Democratic Florida Congressman Klein.

The Rabid Right is becoming bold enough to promote military sadists to congressional seats. How far will they go next? Will these two actually win their respective elections?  Watch this video posted by Crooks and Liars and ask yourself whether or not you want a "Jack Bauer  Republican" to represent you in Congress.

Warning: it's not for the squeamish.

Then watch this newscast about 24 and its influence.