kryptonitemonkey

> I think too of the abuse of power. Often when people speak of the ends justifying the means, this is what they speak of. Doing things for the "greater good", even if they happen to bend/break the rules, or abuse power a bit, etc. How many villains and despots have we seen rise due to such thinking? How many heroes on tv or in the movies do we cheer on when they defy the stuffy rules and do what it takes to catch the bad guy? We nod in agreement when cops on tv pretend to hear something in order to break into that apartment that they know holds the key to taking down that killer, or when they illegally rough up someone to catch the bad guy, or when someone like Jack Bauer tortures a terrorist before their bomb goes off. But aren't those abuses of power the very thing we take issue with when it comes to dirty cops and places like Guantanamo Bay? We say it is despicable to waterboard potential terrorists, yet do not realize that we thought it okay for the hero to do. That is not only the possible potential of justifying the means, but a likelihood given time. The problem is that people are much more likely to take more and more questionable actions over time, not better ones.

Hollywood has a good deal to answer for in developing a collection of bad ideas and promulgating antiheros as figures to look up to. 24 should never have been made. It directly legitimizes corruption and brutality. There are also some pretty deep connections behind the scenes in relation to the power of the civic religion and how it's developed in the public events. Note that the military *pays* sports stadia to help boost its image. :-}