Is Fox’s “24” political-oriented or just entertainment?

MSNBC's Keith Olbermann criticized that Fox’s drama “24” is a sort of propaganda to keep citizens in fear of domestic terrorism to advocate Bush’s anti-terrorism policy. There are many terrorist attacks in the city in the U.S., such as suicide bombs in the mass transportation. The background and plots are too closed to our daily lives. He questioned that if this drama has a political orientation to lead people to support military activities to anti-terrorism.
In addition, other criticizers complained about that the plots of abusing detainees have negative influences to the military- some military investigators might do the techniques they have watched on television before. Furthermore, some people worried about that these tortures indicated “that the letter of the American law must be sacrificed for the country’s security- was hurting and encouraging real-life U.S. soldiers to think about that torture is acceptable.”
Is “24” really political propaganda, or a bad example to the U.S. military, or just entertainment we don’t have to be too serious? Does the TV show have to pay attention to its plots that cannot violate the norm or basic spirits of nation, or the producers have rights to produce whatever contents they want except violating the laws?
In my point of view, I don’t think we should be too serious to this drama. The TV dramas often do exaggerative performances and have unreality plots to attract the audiences. The audiences can have fulfillments and achievements via the behavior of the actors that the normal people cannot experience in their daily lives. The dramas are fictional, not realistic. After 911, many events would be looked too political. Anti-terrorism is emphasized by the media. However, the political view cannot interfere in the entertainment.
On the other hand, some army trainers is angry about the plots about torture hurting the reputation of military and give soldiers a bad example to learn. Admittedly, torture and abuse in the real life are criminal and violate human rights. However, in the drama, they are just the attraction for the tensional and dramatic entertainment purpose. We can worry about that these plots are not appropriate for children, but adults can have their own judgments to tell from reality and fiction.
Syracuse University media scholar Robert Thompson said such TV melodrama, while shocking to some, serves as a kind of wish fulfillment for the masses. “If you can’t be shown kicking the enemy’s butt in real life, we then demand it in fiction. And that’s what’s so satisfying about ’24.’ It’s the Lone Ranger fantasy,” Thompson said. ”So while I would never want to support the kinds of torture that go on in ’24’ in real life, I would miss them if they went away in the show.”
In conclusion, the TV shows have their rights to create fictional, even absurd plots to allure the audiences to watch them in order to raise the ratings, as long as they don’t violate the regulation. For example, “Desperate Housewives” have many plots about murders, affairs, sick mentality. However, there is less criticism to this drama than “24.” We don’t have to be too serious and critical to the subjects about the terrorism and military activities in this show. “24” just adapt today’s news for the tension of the drama.