Amanda Bowman on why the US and the UK should not “go wobbly” on fighting terror:

The American television show 24 is in its 7th season because its portrayal of a life-and-death fight against terrorism in the face of political meddling appears to most Americans—and I would add Britons—both believable and justified. When the American people find out that the real “Jack Bauers” of our government act, for the most part, according to well thought out procedures—procedures that have concretely contributed to our national security—they will draw the conclusion the Obama administration lacks the prudence and stomach for its post-9/11 responsibilities.

Absolute nonsense. 24 is successful because it is believable? Come on, Amanda. Next you’ll be saying that the key to the success of the X-men franchise lies in its gritty realism.

What is it with war-on-terror hawks and fiction-based arguments? They just don’t stop. Newt Gingrich keeps quoting from thriller novels to support a more aggressive foreign policy, and now this — two years after this TAC cover piece by Michael Brendan Dougherty nicely pegged the hawkish habit of asking “What Would Jack Bauer Do?”

Clearly, in order still to cling on to the mantras of the Bush Doctrine, one needs to have a supreme willingness to suspend disbelief.