In Defense Of "24"

Perhaps you've read some of the recent criticism of the TV show "24" from people insisting that it's right-wing propaganda. But as a fan of the show for years, I have to say that comments like "'24' is to conservatives what 'The West Wing' was to liberals" leave me scratching my head.

We're about halfway through Season 5, and at the moment the efforts of our heroes are being interfered with by power-hungry representatives from Homeland Security, while the weak-willed president has been manipulated by his vice president into declaring martial law in L.A.

I doubt highly that the Bush Administration appreciates such portrayals, yet I'm not trying to make the point that "24" is actually left-wing and that it's blaming the U.S. government for everything, because it's not. Rather, it seems to be pointing out that when it comes to terrorism, there are different ways to be part of the problem, and I greatly appreciate the way the show dramatizes the issue's complexity.