Real news should 'give you pause', true stories should 'give you pause', world events should 'give your pause', but a dramatic/action show on FOX 'gives you pause'? Scary.

I'm a big fan of "24" and it is not a show for the weak minded (i.e. people who will go out an do something stupid because of something portrayed on tv, people who instantly form an opinion just because someone on tv 'said so', and basically anyone who can't think for themselves) Unfortunately, tv doesn't work that way and there will be people who will be 'given pause' by something they see and then will allow that to shape their social/world views. Without processing what they see and forming a rational opinion, they act before thinking. Whether it be on the issue of class, race, looks, etc. some people are undeniably just tv parrots. So the fears of the muslim community can be justified in that sense.

However, "24" has been very diverse in their 'villains' over the seasons, they put up a few public service announcements in its fourth year, and on the "24" message boards I frequent people who are of the lemming persuasion are in the minority.

i.e. people who will go out an do something stupid because of something portrayed on tv, people who instantly form an opinion just because someone on tv 'said so', and basically anyone who can't think for themselves

Lots of those out there...there are 2 kinds of people in the world...leaders, and followers. Most people will be followers, because it's easier, and I could not agree more with sViz - anyone who would form such a major opinion of soemthing so important based off a fox tv show needs some help...although I confess, I have never seen the show.(TV is junk food for the brain). These same people probably think that all these "reality" shows popping up on every channel are actually "real"!  I actually ran across a show called "American Princess", which appeared to be selling off a cute blonde to some rich prince somewhere...kinda like a dog and pony show...good god, any more shallow and it'd be transparent! But transparency does not make for good ratings - "reality" and war does..just ask Fox. 
Don't get me wrong - for news, Fox is a perfectly legitimate source, we as watchers have a responsibility to think about what we are being told and shown, and understand the bias from which it comes (I believe that ALL news is biased one way or the other - except Al Jazeera        

I doubt that we will EVER win their "hearts and minds"...I must admit, I might have been one of those Hawks in the beginning, but now my son is 5, and my life changed when he was born... I have no desire to miss more of his life, nor do I have any desire to see him off to a stupid, empty war to die in a street of a town whose name he can't pronounce for no good reason...and your right, Nav...we will never understand their conflict. The irony is that most of the younger teen generation in Iraq has no problem being "americanized"...they're good people, and they seem able to merge to 2 cultures together, at least in a way that works for them. It's their fathers and grandfathers that are doing this to the kids...what kind of people would hate SO much as to place an AK or a cell phone into the hands of a 10 year old, and tell them it's the right thing to do?
It seems to me that individual cultures are going to become less important and independent over the next generation as technology and the internet brings us ALL much closer together...one hopes that we can learn to accept each other.  

As usual, people lose sight of the SOURCE of problems and concentrate solely on the RESULTS of those problems. The Middle East and Mediterranean areas are hotbeds of racism and have been for the rememberable history of mankind. It's NOT going to ever change! Greeks will ALWAYS hate Turks (thanks to Ottoman Empire), Arabs will ALWAYS hate JEWS! There are lots and lots of historical factors that have contributed to both sides of the "problems", pro and con; but, the "problems" are still around aren't they?! And will, I suppose, always be and a television program portraying "evil" as Islamic-like terrorists is just another in a long line of factors contributing to an already existing problem which has no solution. Life has afforded me the opportunity to spend most of that life living in the Middle East and Mediterranean regions and to experience, on a first-hand basis, the struggles of peoples of Greek, Turkish, Arab, Jewish, and Christian descents who, even today, with all the information available, STILL believe in the myths and biases of their forefathers! Some, on all sides, are trying to adapt and change their ways and that, I guess, is a good thing. Others, well, others just are stuck in the ways of the past and there is nothing on the face of this earth that will change their particular bias. All I'd point out is that for Muslims, one of the very first "policies" of the Quran is to "go out and convert the infidel"! Extremeists are just adding the phrase "with prejudice" to the end of that "rule"; but, regardless, the "rule" exists as one of the mainstays of that particular "religion". Christians still maintain the belief that it is up to them to go out and convert the "pagan". Extremeists added "with prejudice" to their doctrine as well and events like the "Crusades" ensued and plagued the area for centuries and is STILL affecting the area today. Go to Beirut and see how well the Lebanese Christians and Lebanese Muslims get along! Actually, just watch CNN, you'll see how well!
Until the world is made of entirely only the "haves", there will ALWAYS be conflict! As Karl Marx once very accurately stated, "religion is the opiate of the people". And it truly is. Look at the Madrasas in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia (where there is ZERO TOLERANCE FOR ANY OTHER RELIGION OR POLITICAL BELIEF), the Gaza Strip, SUDAN, Bangladesh or any other area of the world where POVERTY is KING and you'll immediately see that religion, and only religion is what keeps these people alive/hopeful and is the breeding ground of hatred of the "haves", NOT necessarily because of their beliefs; but, defintely because of their "wealth" relative to the HAVE NOT! It is very, very, easy to make that "have not" believe that strapping a bomb to him/herself and blowing up the "haves" will ENSURE his place in "heaven/Nirvana/or anyother paradise", because, after all, what's he got to live for???? Drug smugglers going into Saudi Arabia from Pakistan and Bangladesh have the same theory. If they get caught, they KNOW the Saudis will behead them on a Friday in the Square! They know this, it is fact!!! They also know that IF they're able to get their drugs in and sold, they'll have more wealth than they could EVER POSSIBLY have in their homeland! So, something to Live for drives them to what they try. Just another form of terrorism! Cause? Poverty and lack of any chance EVER of bettering one's position in the "Haves" world! My firm belief, based on life experience, is that humankind bases most, if not all, of their responses to events as a result of their upbringing, religious belief, homeland, or home area. Failure is inevitable!! Let the terrorists have access to nukes. Let Pakistan and India start a nuclear war because of a "religious" belief. Let Osama Bin Laden become a hero to millions of DIRT-POOR, illiterate, and maleable peoples of the world! Why? Because the end result will be that all of the aforementioned will eventually annihilate ALL of humanity, and, then, and only then, maybe humanity could START OVER and become a place where the beliefs are shared by all, where all people would be equally "wealthy", so there would be no jealousy or envy of the possessions of others. The place could be called "UTOPIA" or NOT!  

"They do not like being compared to terrorists. And, I can tell you,the majority abhor terrorist acts."

Just as we don't like being called 'little eichmanns'. When I did a thing on 'Kurtlar Vadisi Irak', Americans felt pretty strongly about it. Is 24 more accurate than 'valley of the wolves'? Probably, but the entertainment industry, and now even the news, is all about handing our preconceptions back to us nicely dramatized.

If Americans didn't have a few of those, Rightwinger wouldn't have asked me if I wondered whether the Muslims in my neighborhood are building bombs. To me, there's no difference between that and asking whether you wonder if the black guy down the street is selling crack or raping white women.

@ maggot: Well thought out and written.

steroeotypes tend to be ugly things...anyone think of a "good" stereotype? The only ones that I can come up w/ are that the amish and mennonites around where I live are a honest and peaceful people...but I'm not sure if even that is completely accurate...people are people, regardless of race, religion and/or any other external factors.

Dang, glad you reminded me, Troy...and ALL skinners are unemployed web designers!

You forgot skinners in there somewhere

oops!  

If Americans didn't have a few of those, Rightwinger wouldn't have asked me if I wondered whether the Muslims in my neighborhood are building bombs. To me, there's no difference between that and asking whether you wonder if the black guy down the street is selling crack or raping white women.

I make a distinction between race and religion/ideology.

Replace the word Muslim with Nazi and does it seem so implausible?

If President Bush had made the decision to go to Iraq because of human rights concerns & the many violations of the UN sanctions, it's sad to say but he would easily be impeachable. However, since the decision to go to war was made at the time a defensive action then under the law it's fine.

Actually, no. As long as congress approved it, it is not an impeachable action, regardless of the justification. And Congress did, including the clowns that are now saying they are against it. In the matter of public record, there is no such thing as "take back".

Osama bin Laden

Nuff said.

This is a reference to the statement in question this blog

"You hate me, Baker...because I dare to question the motives of a people you, in your vast wisdom, have chosen simply to accept. I resist your supposed logic...your wisdom; I don't just go ahead and accept them simply on the basis of your word, your reasoning. I see what I see, and I don't like it. That pisses you off. The face of Islam you choose to accept is the nice, happy, smiling face of the Westernized women at the bus stop. That's okay....but don't deride me for opting for the hundreds of thousand of chanting, fist-pumping, angry faces I've seen over the years on the news, in violent, flag-burning mobs. While you're chatting with these women, do you wonder what might be going on, or being built, in their husband's basement workshops? Perhaps preached or discussed, in hushed tone, in their mosques? I do. I'm not a dupe. Equivalency and relativism like yours are sapping our will as a people, Baker; it makes us question ourselves and our reasons and actions, and theirs, in a time when there's no room for it. See, I don't blindly trust on the basis of PC and diversity, the way you do. If that makes me a hater....so be it. Feel sorry for me if you like. I don't care. At least no one can compare me to Chamberlain."

Or another of his statements:

"From a post I left on another thread: ~~~You know; that's another reason to look down on this particular division of Islam. I, as a Christian, try to live a decent, loving and peaceful life that will get me to Heaven so I can live forever with Jesus, the Son of God. These Muslim want to kill, maim and die so they can go to their heaven and prong chicks (I'd hope) for all eternity. What high goals. Shows you how repressive and controlling their faith is.~~~ Don't tell me Islam is noble and peaceful. It's a cancer."

Can you really defend that kind of thing, Brad? I think better of you, but then I once thought better of Rightwinger.

When you step that far beyond Bush, O'Reilly, Glen Beck, Rush Limbaugh, who do you find yourself standing out there with? Do you want to be out there in the same group with them? I sure wouldn't.