The Power of Nightmares

[sephodwyrm]

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...umentary&hl=en
http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...ghtmares&hl=en
http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...ghtmares&hl=en
3 Parts.

Create fear so as to get political power.
Those that seek to remove fear are your enemies.
This is the object and goal by both the neo-conservatives and radical Islamism that aim to bring about a sense of moral revolution. They worked together, fought together, and then proceeded to terrorize their own fellow Americans and Muslims, before finally meeting up together again after the 9/11 attacks.

Its divided into 3 parts. Take your time to watch this. This talks about the development of neo-conservatism and radical political Islamism.

IMO, better balanced and provided with a broader spectrum of context when compared to Obsession. Rep point for BBC.

[The White Knight]

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...umentary&hl=en

Create fear so as to get political power.
Those that seek to remove fear are your enemies.

Its divided into 3 parts. Take your time to watch this. This talks about the development of neo-conservatism and radical political Islamism.

I bookmarked it so I can watch it tomorrow. However I can say abuse of means to get political power seems as old as politics itself.

[IronBrig4]

The irksome tactics of politicians never change. You should read some of the speeches against the Grachii brothers, Catilina, and Clodius. It's those speeches aren't fear-mongering, then I don't know what is.

Regarding contemporary US politics, though, I'll have to agree that Goebbels has nothing on the RNC or DNC.

[danzig]

IMO, better balanced and provided with a broader spectrum of context when compared to Obsession. Rep point for BBC.

Whew Im so glad planes flying into WTC were just an illusion and didnt really happen and what a relief that bombing in Spain and UK were as well. Btw why are you giving props to BBC? No indication that video is made by the BBC, it seems more inline with the 9/11 conspiracy videos and indeed the google links to http://www.irishufology.net/.

[sephodwyrm]

Btw why are you giving props to BBC? No indication that video is made by the BBC, it seems more inline with the 9/11 conspiracy videos

Well, if you don't want to watch the video, then go home and sleep, or shoot something.
And it is indeed made by the BBC.
btw, it never said that planes into WTC were illusion. But I'm glad you think that way, because your above post has a good chance of totally discounting any of your other contributions to this thread, unless you actually show proof you watched it.

I give props to BBC because it produces quality documentaries, from political observations, human geography and industry to information on the natural world. They even provide country profiles on their website so that people can know a bit more about the context of the news. I think that's one of the best representatives of Western humanism (knowledge seeking).

[danzig]

Well, if you don't want to watch the video, then go home and sleep, or shoot something.

Ah so that is how its going to be?

btw, it never said that planes into WTC were illusion. But I'm glad you think that way, because your above post has a good chance of totally discounting any of your other contributions to this thread, unless you actually show proof you watched it.

Thanks but Ill post anywhere I want and contribute to a thread in a way *I* deem fit, if you dont like it oh well. I watched the first video and few minutes into the second, that was enough for me. I find basically suggesting that the 'evils' of radical islam are woven into a threat but the actually evil neocons to be rather absurd. Its not like the BBC is a bastion of neutral, they have their own slant on things as well as this video does well to prove. BBC is just pointing the boogeyman finger at another entity, me personally I dont believe in any boogeyman whether its islamic or neocon one.

[bigfootedfred]

I watched the first video and few minutes into the second, that was enough for me. I find basically suggesting that the 'evils' of radical islam are woven into a threat but the actually evil neocons to be rather absurd.

You should try watching the whole thing.
Very in depth good solid work. i watched these last year on BBC 2.
You will find much of the history (it Follows the history of radical islam in great detail). very interesting.
An Excellent documentary.

Curtis (the producer) responded to it being called a 'conspiracy theory' with this.
"The use of fear in contemporary politics is not the result of a conspiracy,
the politicians have stumbled on it. In a populist, consumerist age
where they found their authority and legitimacy declining dramatically
they have simply discovered in the 'war on terror' a way of restoring their authority by promising to protect us."

I highly recommend watching these.

BBC is just pointing the boogeyman finger at another entity

you really didn't watch it did you...i have no idea how you came to that conclusion.
It does nothing of the sort!

[Erik]

IMO, better balanced and provided with a broader spectrum of context when compared to Obsession. Rep point for BBC.

I fully agree.

It's a very good movie, and I think it's >90% accurate.

[sephodwyrm]

I watched the first video and few minutes into the second, that was enough for me.

You only watched 1/3 of the movie and gave a suggestion.
I don't even need to discount your view. You discounted your contributions yourself.

[danzig]

You only watched 1/3 of the movie and gave a suggestion.
I don't even need to discount your view. You discounted your contributions yourself.

Was enough to make my call on it, I dont have to step in cow crap to know it will smell if I do. I think I contributed quite nicely thank you very much based on more then enough of the video imo. Perhaps a proper thread title should be Politics of Fear...please dont disagree with me or the video. The entire basis of your original post is nonsense, create fear to take power? They already had power before anything happened and as a result of their complete botching of it they are going to lose power (atleast in congress) next Tuesday unless Democrats somehow manage to screw it up. As I said boogeyman terrorist, boogeyman neocon or boogeyman leftwing nutjob....I yawn to them all.

[sephodwyrm]

Yes, I agree. Maybe it should be renamed as something more appropriate:

The Power of Nightmares

The original BBC title.

[Lunar4]

Nice documentaries btw. Very informative.

[Tom Paine]

Politeness, please, rather than the heated and trollish comments I've seen. Keep it civil.

[Black Francis]

This is one of the best documentaries I have seen in years. Another great one was Why we fight all about "The Military Industrial Complex"...
http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...34461280278026

[sephodwyrm]

That deserve a thread of its own, man.
Thanks for the provision.

[TheKwas]

I'm enjoying it so far. Thanks for linking it sephodwyrm.

[The White Knight]

This is quite revealing, still watching it, but thanks for posting it.

[Stalins Ghost]

Ahhh fear mongering. It really is the most basic form of gaining right wing support...

Reminds me of what Chomsky said on an Axis of Justice pod-cast; "Last year no Americans died as a result of terrorism. Last year 100,000 people died as a result of car crashes". Clever sentiments.

[Rhah]

Reminds me of what Chomsky said on an Axis of Justice pod-cast; "Last year no Americans died as a result of terrorism. Last year 100,000 people died as a result of car crashes". Clever sentiments.

You do realise that your about to get inundated with people claiming that in fact, lots of Americans have been killed in Iraq due to (what they think to be) Terrorism?

Back on topic though....

I remember seeing this documentary last year (the first 2 parts anyway) and it was very good, particularly the parts about the formation of the Neo-conservative movement and Al Qaida.
You know, maybe if that Sayyid Qutb guy had just managed to get laid when he was in the US then none of this mess would have happened....

[Stalins Ghost]

Oh yeah, I'm fully expecting the uproar
I'd be quite disappointed if there wasn't any!

The way I see it, terrorism is merely an excuse for the West to go and take out a few of those trouble spots they so handily created throughout the 20th century. OK, back when the IRA was active in England, we'd see it take a fairly prominent role in politics, but never a full scale global policing strategy...

It'd be rather darn interesting (and entirely beneficial) to see what kind of state we'd be in if reasons for this ideological conflict never came about. We'd probably be facing a war on Gypsies. Or some other group. After all, we'd beaten Fascism, and then Communism in the 20th century. We've got to have some kind of meat to keep militarist states happy, and for the Western states to avoid laying into each other...

Just look at 5th century Greece - here we see the Greek states squabbling unceasingly, then suddenly, along comes a "great enemy" in the form of Persia, then all the Greek cities unite against this threat. As soon as its not there, for one, Athens continues the fear mongering while handily building up a tidy empire. After the Persian empire was lost, the threat is gone, and then what? Greece erupts into war.

I guess we have T.W.A.T to thank for keeping the West united...