The Power of Nightmares Part 1-Baby it's Cold Outside

The Power of Nightmares, subtitled The Rise of the Politics of Fear, is a 3 part BBC documentary film series, written and produced by Adam Curtis.
The films compare the rise of the Neo-Conservative movement in the United States and the radical Islamist movement, making comparisons on their origins and claiming similarities between the two. More controversially, it argues that the threat of radical Islamism as a massive, sinister organized force of destruction, specifically in the form of al-Qaeda, is a myth perpetrated by politicians in many countries—and particularly American Neo-Conservatives—in an attempt to unite and inspire their people following the failure of earlier, more utopian ideologies.

Part 1: Baby It's Cold Outside:
The first part of the series explains the origin of Islamism and Neo-Conservatism. It shows Egyptian civil servant Sayyid Qutb, depicted as the founder of modern Islamist thought, visiting the U.S. to learn about the education system, but becoming disgusted with what he saw as a corruption of morals and virtues in western society through individualism. When he returns to Egypt, he is disturbed by westernization under Gamal Abdel Nasser and becomes convinced that in order to save society it must be completely restructured along the lines of Islamic law while still using western technology. He also becomes convinced that this can only be accomplished through the use of an elite "vanguard" to lead a revolution against the established order. Qutb becomes a leader of the Muslim Brotherhood and, after being tortured in one of Nasser's jails, comes to believe that western-influenced leaders can justly be killed for the sake of removing their corruption. Qutb is executed in 1966, but he influences the future mentor of Osama bin Laden, Ayman al-Zawahiri, to start his own secret Islamist group. Inspired by the 1979 Iranian revolution, Zawahiri and his allies assassinate Egyptian president Anwar Al Sadat, in 1981, in hopes of starting their own revolution. The revolution does not materialize, and Zawahiri comes to believe that the majority of Muslims have been corrupted not only by their western-inspired leaders, but Muslims themselves have been affected by jahilliyah and thus both may be legitimate targets of violence if they do not join him. They continued to have the belief that a vanguard was necessary to rise up and overthrow the corrupt regime and replace with a pure Islamist state.

At the same time in the United States, a group of disillusioned liberals, including Irving Kristol and Paul Wolfowitz, look to the political thinking of Leo Strauss after the perceived failure of President Johnson's "Great Society". They come to the conclusion that the emphasis on individual liberty was the undoing of the plan. They envisioned restructuring America by uniting the American people against a common evil, and set about creating a mythical enemy. These factions, the Neo-Conservatives, came to power under the Reagan administration, with their allies Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld, and work to unite the United States in fear of the Soviet Union. The Neo-Conservatives allege the Soviet Union is not following the terms of disarmament between the two countries, and, with the investigation of "Team B", they accumulate a case to prove this with dubious evidence and methods. President Reagan is convinced nonetheless.

Here is the playlist with all 3 parts in order:
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=1D677F7EAAEE3DD5

Check out my first book of poetry on Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Mystical-Poetry-Politics-mysticdave/dp/1448689082

Check out my blogs:
Mystical Poetry and Politics: http://www.mysticalpoetryandpolitics.com/
Mystical Musings and Politics: http://mysticalmusingsandpolitics.blogspot.com/
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[malectric]

Those who invent lies inevitably come to believe in them. That has to be the worst of all positions from which to forge policy. The world needs critical thinking like never before.

[futurelegendfilms]

Mr Curtis makes a mighty fine documentary.

[chervilant]

Time for the Flying Spaghetti Monster to return to Earth and touch unbelievers with his noodly appendages.

[enlightened1ish]

So the neo cons pulled a Soviet Union with Iraq spreading lies about weapons they didn't have. Wolfowitz, Cheney, Rumsfeld, they did this before.

[Kinjamaimai]

@YourHeartIsTheKey A neocon calling themselves a christian must be the very epitome of hipocracy, Funny that, considering the demographics of the US (to name but one example).

[Kinjamaimai]

@johnnymexica No. "They are demons set loose on the earth to lower the standards for the perfect and holy children of god, which is what we are. Make no mistake about it!" -Bill Hicks

[johnnymexica]

I think Justin Bieber is a Russian spy sent out to destroy music.

[youralmostthere]

Fitting description of a 'most profoundly sick society'.

[YourHeartIsTheKey]

jesus fucking christ i hate neocons.. their whole ideology is based on a falsehood and their extremely condescending cunts..

[Theitisme400]

Adam Curtis is a legend!!!

[saitamme]

the soldiers dancing w/ rifles to "baby it's cold outside", priceless!