The Trap - "Fuck You Buddy!" - 1/6 - Adam Curtis

[fcgfgcfg]

I'd like to differ. They probably shouldn't be defined as documentaries?The montages he puts forward are in the same line as the likes of Andrei Rublev during the Bolshevik era. He was the father of the video montage and discussed in length the power of images put together that can coerce you into forming a legitimate narrative.Maybe propaganda film is a bit too harsh a genre to label it with. I love his work nonetheless.

[timpeacock7]

Hel aso employs a superb number of soundtrack accompaniments.,such incorporating a lot of Eno when used to be interesting.

[ChorltonBrook]

It used to be thought that madness was contagious, maybe it is. 

[MrDogrose]

When ideologues gain power they are dangerous. When paranoids gain power, they make us all paranoid.

[Yehbytheway]

Century of the self was probably the best documentary I have seen.

The problem I have with Adam Curtis is that he drives the same model that thinks ideology drives society.

Kissinger and Berlin derived there ideology to placate rich people and say that they where alright and everyone is only out for themselves anyway.

Intellectual gobshites and cronies making up theory that suits their peers.

[gbushimprov]

@Yehbytheway Actually if you read the paper and other Berlin has written you'll see that no-one has ever followed Berlin's policy, they all fell into the trap he warned of, that's why the series is called that.

[FreeMeFromG]

If you want to go a bit more into depth with this trap and some ideas about getting out of it, you might want to check out Zeitgeist: Moving Forward

It's got really great stuff and a lot of mental ammo for you guys. Oh, I also saw Morgan Spurlock's Freakonomics it's brilliant and not what I expected.

Moving forward can be found here:

watch?v=4Z9WVZddH9w

[robostairs]

☮ & ♥

[goPistons06]

i think this documentary for the most explains quite well the development of certain ideas and their influence. but i also think that its conclusion is wrong, that because of these ideas we're not free

[badattitude77769]

Blair, what a liar, downing street memos, what a fag, he and bush are probably kissing cousins, talking their shit, probably blood related.

[JonnyChannel]

not a fair game...

[knicks9899]

His soundtracks are always top-notch as well. Always chooses fantastic cuts.

[Vebinz]

I really like and respect Adam Curtis, but he seems very limited: he has a grand theory to explain everything (much like the people he's criticizing here), ignoring other forces at work.

He does this especially in "Powerof Nightmares".

[ilovedrugseveryday]

@Vebinz What do you mean by "other forces at work"? Maybe he ignores that because its a wide subject and he'll have to talk for ages to connect stuff

[platonicbomb]

another ayn rand disciple, much like greenspan. unfortunately we discredited him in 2008.

[canaan1967]

@platonicbomb

Who is an Ayn Rand disciple?

[impalapez]

@canaan1967 Greenspan Fed chairman was/is a big fan of hers

[blackacidlizzard]

"governments committed to creating freedom of choice, [yet the class divide widens]"

Sure, if you listen to what the people in power SAY they are committed to. The strengthening of the political hegemony of the elite has repeatedly been sold as egalitarianism and suckers keep buying it.

Check out Gabriel Kolko's "The Triumph of Conservatism" for a perhaps more realistic look at one of the most universally believed in sales jobs of this kind in US history.

[Buckywunder]

Excellent use of Yo La Tengo music in the soundtrack. I think they would be flattered.

[bwelkk]

It's interesting, the comments at the end of this series (lets call them the smart people) are busy pointing out all the fallacies he made while characterizing the role of economists in society, conflating austrian economics with neoliberalism etc.

Very different from what the comments on this video say.

[canaan1967]

I'm sorry Adam Curtis needs to use a bit of Political Economy in his analysis. While it's an interesting contribution it lacks an honest, naked, radical analysis of the Capitalist System. Capitalism seeks to turn every country into the 3rd world. It is the enemy of democracy. Curtis is skirting the real issues here.

[MikeCDawg]

@canaan1967 I agree with this. He avoids some of the important issues here, yet this documentary is a good critique of what things like American and British Social Science departments have become. Using this plus something like a Marxist analysis can enhance the contemporary critique of Capital

[canaan1967]

@MikeCDawg

Yup. I didn't watch the entire documentary to be fair but I have seen his others. The problem is that too many people thing this is a result of "Big Government" not Capitalism and the use of Government by corporations as a tool to strengthen their unrestricted free market domination of the world.

[TimeTelescope]

Amazing documentary, although at times it struggles to hold together the thematically linked sub-narratives. Definitely the kind of stuff everyone should see.

I have two other Curtis docs, "The Century of the Self" and "The Mayfair Set" in my playlists. They are equally good and complement this one.

[dansplash23]

My Mom turned me on to this series. Wicked! watching them all.

[mihir1310]

These films need more than one viewing in order to comprehend them .

[BalkanibalX]

haha I was just thinking how I should see this documentary one more time

[mullartist]

I enjoyed this a lot so it might sound a bit churlish to say that I am waiting for Adam Curtis to do a series on ufo's because the tone, style and construct of this seems to draw heavily on that style of documentary and due to that seems interesting but perhaps less untrustworthy.

[Redbaron011]

You believe in UFOs?

[Aristocles2]

Excellent documentary. Only problem is that things in Britain have changed so much since then.

Our adoration of 'negative liberty' has survived the Banking Crisis (look at Boris Johnson defending Hedge Funds) whilst our 'positive liberty' ironically is manifested in the most concentrated CCTV system on earth.

[Nero200]

This is one of the best documentaries i have ever seen. all three parts of it.

[stuneale1184]

i don't think we should listen to anyone but government because they were appointed by us so there for they speak for us, right?WE ARE FREE, WE ARE FREE,WE ARE FREE(TO DO WHAT THEY TELL US).THANK YOU JIMSTAR79 i've been looking for a decent copy of this for time!!

[cmmnsense]

Someone needs to read to The Law by Frederic Bastiat. =P

[zg76]

@cmmnsense good god, at least one intelligent comment here!!

As Bill Hicks said, "This movie is piece of sh**"

[k9thru12]

comments has been disabled Covert Operations In Effect the Big S L O W D O W N Alex Jones

[jimstar79]

he really makes good documentaries, and yeah, got an excellent voice!

[fewes17]

Adam Curtis has such a great voice. Thanks for the upload!

[yuothineyesasian]

I've seen this before, it got me interested in pos. neg. liberty. Good stuff.

[cooljules19]

isiah berlin is a genius. its a shame his warnings were not heeded, and instead his works were manipulated for the ends of government

[yuothineyesasian]

It's too bad he died before answering Tony Blair's Letter on weather Pos. Neg liberty can coexist.