I know it’s no A Christmas Story, and I’m a little late noticing that this documentary by Adam Curtis is available on Archive.org. But this has been my Christmas Eve viewing. I’ve been assaulted this year with endless idiocy that blindly repeats NeoCon lies by people who should know better. I’m well sick of it. Here’s part one of the antidote. I have one simple disclaimer for the haters: To compare two things at length is not the same as saying they are the same thing. Use your own brain. Don’t get used.
This film explores the origins in the 1940s and 50s of Islamic Fundamentalism in the Middle East, and Neoconservatism in America, parallels between these movements, and their effect on the world today. From the introduction to Part 1:
“Both [the Islamists and Neoconservatives] were idealists who were born out of the failure of the liberal dream to build a better world. And both had a very similar explanation for what caused that failure. These two groups have changed the world, but not in the way that either intended. Together, they created today’s nightmare vision of a secret, organized evil that threatens the world. A fantasy that politicians then found restored their power and authority in a disillusioned age. And those with the darkest fears became the most powerful.”
The Power of Nightmares page on the Internet Archive
More Adam Curtis Films on Archive.org
UPDATE: More Links!
Buy The Power of Nightmares
Robert Koehler interviews Adam Curtis about Power of Nightmares on CinemaScope
Many Adam Curtis Links on Film Studies for Free
