Possible answers to the Jack Bauer question:

Q: Would you torture someone if he knew where the bomb was?

A1: That's a bullshit queston. By the way, are you still beating your wife, Tim?

A2: Torture doesn't work. What I would do is get a bunch of kittens, and start talking about how many kittens are going to die. I'd hand the man a new born baby, and start talking about how many babies are going to die. I'd have a grandmother bring in a plate of cookies, and start talking about how many grandmothers are going to die.... You get the picture.

Usually, the ones which are caught aren't the ones with all the details ...

First you tortute the guy who knows where the bomb is, then you torture the guy who knows that guy, then you torture his landlord, then you torture the landlord's son, then you torture the student who asked the wrong question...... It doesn't stop.

then nobody knows where the bomb is no matter how much you torture them

To answer these questions is to accept their framing.

They asked him if stopped beating her and he said "Yes"...

:evilgrin:

I think you mean the chronic driving under the influence guy?

How could Bill CLinton have missed it!

We don't legalize torture, we don't let our agents torture and look the other way unless the press finds out and we need a scapegoat. No, we get a CANADIAN to do it for us!

there's the answer to that one...

If the bomb is going to explode in 24hrs or whatever the interrogatee has the upper hand, not the interrogator. All he has to do is hold out for a definite period of time. It's holding out indefinitely that's hard.
Every time you think he's going to tell you the answer, he gives you a lie instead, something made up (like : "We know where the Weapons of Mass Destruction are -they're in the area of Baghdad and in Tikrit and to the North, South and East and West somewhat.") Every time he tells you a lie it will take hours to check out. Every time you come back to him and confront him with his lie, he scores a victory against you, becomes stronger, and comes closer to his goal of final victory. All he has to do to be the biggest hero of his particular cause in history is just hold out a little while longer against your questioning. If he holds out just a few hours he is Jesus-Mohammed-Rambo-and-Audie-Murphy rolled up into one. He will have single-handedly defeated your Evil Empire. That's what he stands to gain from resistance. Against that, with a ticking clock, you have NO CHANCE. By the time you kill him, he'll be laughing at you.

THE TICKING BOMB SCENARIO IS THE DUMBEST SHIT EVER SAID ON THE SUBJECT OF TORTURE.

DUMBEST. SHIT. EVER.

How about "He's a fictional TV character on a fictional TV show featuring fictional situations?"

Enough said.