The Wolfowitz saga jogged my memory about the BBC documentary series The Power of Nightmares. Its basic premise is that having lost the ability to provide citizens with dreams, politicians also lost their ability to control. However, they have managed to find something to replace dreams in the form of nightmares. Nowadays, terrorism provides the nightmares. (Note that documentary maker Adam Curtis has a clear left-leaning bias.) The series narrates the rise of two conflicting movements that, ironically, rose to prominence as a response to the perceived vacuousness of modern society--the radical extremists and the neo-conservatives. The latter group featured Leo Strauss, whose ideas inspired one Paul Wolfowitz. The synopsis for parts I, II, and III are online. Better yet, you can view the entire series by streaming it. Enjoy, but be warned that you'd better have some free time before you get started as this series makes for compelling viewing.
The Power of Nightmares Revisited
The Wolfowitz saga jogged my memory about the BBC documentary series The Power of Nightmares. Its basic premise is that having lost the ability to provide citizens with dreams, politicians also lost their ability to control. However, they have managed to find something to replace dreams in the form of nightmares. Nowadays, terrorism provides the nightmares. (Note that documentary maker Adam Curtis has a clear left-leaning bias.) The series narrates the rise of two conflicting movements that, ironically, rose to prominence as a response to the perceived vacuousness of modern society--the radical extremists and the neo-conservatives. The latter group featured Leo Strauss, whose ideas inspired one Paul Wolfowitz. The synopsis for parts I, II, and III are online. Better yet, you can view the entire series by streaming it. Enjoy, but be warned that you'd better have some free time before you get started as this series makes for compelling viewing.
