If Jack Bauer is the new American strategy, why didn't it win Jimmy Carter a 2nd term?

[The Backlash Cometh]

I'm very concerned about the Rambo-Bauer style strategy our contemporary military has taken. There have been subtle changes in the American psyche over the last forty years, which illustrate these changes.

My father, who was in the Marines during WWII, through an anecdote explained how the wise sergeants reigned in the raw rage of young soldiers. WWII was a time to avenge friends and defend country. And the young enlistees were ready to charge any hill. But his sergeant would tell them that he's not looking for heroes that would jeopardize the mission. The emphasis was "mission," as if someone actually put thought behind whatever purpose took them halfway across the world. The sergeant was concerned about the well-being of his men and also the success of the mission. So he emphasized strict obedience in following orders. If the mission was pure, the sacrifice he asked from his men was worthy.

Now, we jump to today where those wise sergeants and whoever put the mission together seem lacking. It's all about individual heroics and no accountability. Jack Bauer would never have been allowed to kill so many civilians. He's about taking risks, yes, but those risks are generally against other spies or hostile forces. Jack Bauer is also only effective if he prevails. And that's why Jimmy Carter didn't win his second term. Because his Jack Bauer decision didn't work out so well for him.

So, I suggest we recognize that our country has changed. They were subtle changes, but the signs were there if you look. For example, we went from a generation that was raised on Aesop's Fables where clever and wit got you out of a jam, to action figures, where heroes have to have some supernatural ability to prevail. From brain to brawn.

Let's hope we go retro with the next generation.

[DS1]

1. Right, another "WWII was so pure" post

Watch some footage of the Pacific Island Hopping campaigns. Get back to me with purity, maybe some bodily fluids on the side.

Besides, how many civilians has Jack Bauer killed?

[The Backlash Cometh]

3. To my knowledge, JB doesn't kill anybody "who doesn't deserve kill'n"

That's the privilege a writer has. To be able to manipulate the reader's emotion to make sure the reader will finish the book, and be more willing to buy the next one. So,if JB was sloppy, killing civilians along the way, people wouldn't approve of the genre.

That's my point. He takes risks, but there is little downside to those risks. Not like in real life.

[MetaTrope]

2. Thirty years of conservative media hammering at the American psyche

Blame television.