Meeting Fiction with Fiction

I have long felt that we need to take care in responding to the delusions of people we disagree with. Take, for instance, the crazy idea that we should not transfer prisoners from Guantanamo to the US because they will break out and kill us all. One response would be to point out that we already house many more dangerous prisoners than these supposed super terrorists and that no one has escaped from a Supermax prison.

That would be one approach. However, I think a more poetic, and perhaps appropriate approach would be to response to these fears with something that those harboring the fears can respond to: fiction. These people already get the majority of their information from television shows like 24, right? Logic need not apply.

Good news from Vagabond Scholar, which I found via Schneier on Security:

Seeking to quell fears of terrorists somehow breaking out of America's top-security prisons and wreaking havoc on the defenseless heartland, President Barack Obama moved quickly to announce an Anti-Terrorist Strike Force headed by veteran counterterrorism agent Jack Bauer and mutant superhero Wolverine. Already dubbed a "dream team," their appointment is seen by experts as a crucial step in reducing the mounting incidents of national conservatives and congressional Democrats crapping their pants.

"I believe a fictional threat is best met with decisive fictional force," explained President Obama. "Jack Bauer and Wolverine are among the very best we have when in comes to combating fantasy foes." Mr. Bauer said, "We're quite certain that our prisons are secure. Osama bin Laden and his agents wouldn't dare attempt a break-out, and would fail miserably if they tried. But I love this country. And should Lex Luthor, Magneto or the Loch Ness Monster attack, we'll be there to stop them."