Ticking ethics.

• Author: Erlich, Richard D.
• Position: Letters to the Editor - Letter to the editor

Thank you for Alfred W. McCoy's insightful and nuanced article, "The Myth of the Ticking Time Bomb" (October issue). I'd like to add two cruder points.

First, Jack Bauer on 24 has personally tortured at least one wrong person and has murdered at least one witness who was the only lead to a dangerous conspiracy. There are also a fair number of torture victims wandering around from earlier 24 episodes who would be, were 24 realistic, plotting revenge. Sensible people know they can use 24 for guilty pleasure, but not as a model for counterterrorism.

Far more seriously, the figuratively ticking bomb argument is simply bullshit in terms of...