Politics - The Power of Nightmares, Part 3/3 The Shadows in the Cave

Politics - The Power of Nightmares, Part 2/3 The Phantom Victory

politics news

The Power of Nightmares assesses whether the threat from a hidden and organised terrorist network is an illusion. In the concluding part of the series, the programme explains how the illusion was created   more...and who benefits from it.

In the wake of the shock and panic created by the devastating attack on the World Trade Center on 11 September, 2001, the neo-conservatives reconstructed the radical Islamists in the image of their last evil enemy, the Soviet Union - a sinister web of terror run from the centre by Osama Bin Laden in his lair in Afghanistan.

There are dangerous and fanatical individuals and groups around the world who have been inspired by extreme Islamist ideas, and who will use the techniques of mass terror - the attacks on America and Madrid make this only too clear.

But the nightmare vision of a uniquely powerful hidden organisation waiting to strike our societies is an illusion.

Wherever one looks for this al-Qaeda organisation, from the mountains of Afghanistan to the "sleeper cells" in America, the British and Americans are chasing a phantom enemy.

But the reason that no-one questions the illusion is because this nightmare enemy gives so many groups new power and influence in a cynical age - and not just politicians.

Those with the darkest imaginations have now become the most powerful.

In part one, the programme looked at the origins of the neo-conservatives and the radical Islamists in the 1950s.

The second part of the series examined how the radical Islamists and neo-conservatives came together to defeat the Soviet Union in Afghanistan.  less

The Power of Nightmares assesses whether the threat from a hidden and organised terrorist network is an illusion. In the concluding part of the series, the programme explains how the illusion was created   more...and who benefits from it.

In the wake of the shock and panic created by the devastating attack on the World Trade Center on 11 September, 2001, the neo-conservatives reconstructed the radical Islamists in the image of their last evil enemy, the Soviet Union - a sinister web of terror run from the centre by Osama Bin Laden in his lair in Afghanistan.

There are dangerous and fanatical individuals and groups around the world who have been inspired by extreme Islamist ideas, and who will use the techniques of mass terror - the attacks on America and Madrid make this only too clear.

But the nightmare vision of a uniquely powerful hidden organisation waiting to strike our societies is an illusion.

Wherever one looks for this al-Qaeda organisation, from the mountains of Afghanistan to the "sleeper cells" in America, the British and Americans are chasing a phantom enemy.

But the reason that no-one questions the illusion is because this nightmare enemy gives so many groups new power and influence in a cynical age - and not just politicians.

Those with the darkest imaginations have now become the most powerful.

In part one, the programme looked at the origins of the neo-conservatives and the radical Islamists in the 1950s.

The second part of the series examined how the radical Islamists and neo-conservatives came together to defeat the Soviet Union in Afghanistan.  less

The Power of Nightmares continues its assessment of whether the threat from a hidden and organised terrorist network is an illusion. Part two, the Phantom Victory looks at how two groups, radical Islamists   more...and neo-conservatives with seemingly opposing ideologies came together to defeat a common enemy.

On 25 December 1979, Soviet forces invaded Afghanistan.

Moscow was able to install a friendly government in a neighbouring country but at a price.

The invasion gave a common cause to an extraordinary alliance of radical Islamists in Afghanistan and around the world and to the neo-conservatives in the US.

It was a key battleground of the Cold War.

Washington provided money and arms including even Stinger missiles capable of shooting down Soviet helicopters.

But it was Islamic Mujahideen fighters who would fire them.

Among the many foreigners drawn to Afghanistan was a young, wealthy Saudi called Osama Bin Laden.

Long before 9/11, he would have been seen by neo-conservatives in Washington as one of their foot soldiers, helping fight America's cause.

After nearly 10 years of fighting, Soviet troops pulled out of Afghanistan.

Both the neo-conservatives and the Islamists believed that it is they who defeated the "evil empire" and now had the power to transform the world.

But both failed in their revolutions.

In response, the neo-conservatives invented a new fantasy enemy, Bill Clinton, focusing on the scandal surrounding him and Monica Lewinsky.

Meanwhile, the Islamists descend into a desperate cycle of violence and terror to try to persuade the people to follow them.

Out of all this comes the seeds of the strange world of fantasy, deception, violence and fear in which we now live.  less

First piece of the Second Section. Adam Curtis explores the roots of terrorism and neoconservatism and their development together only a few decades ago. Brought out through free download from Archive.org.
  more...<a href="http://www.livevideo.com/video/kahlanamnell/9A2130CAEEA24B508521CD4946885391/adam-curtis-power-of-nightmar.aspx">Link to part 2</a>  less

Last piece of this section. Adam Curtis explores the roots of terrorism and neoconservatism and their development together only a few decades ago. Brought out through free download from Archive.org. <a   more...href="http://www.livevideo.com/video/kahlanamnell/9140804542C5439AA99D6281A87781FD/adam-curtis-power-of-nightmar.aspx">Link to 1/3 Baby its Cold outside</a>
<a href="http://www.livevideo.com/video/kahlanamnell/38101D0977BD4C7FA46B8BB58B5781B6/adam-curtis-power-of-nightmar.aspx"> Second Section The Phantom Victory 1/3</a>  less

Adam Curtis explores the roots of terrorism and neoconservatism and their development together only a few decades ago. Brought out through free download from Archive.org.
<a href="http://www.livevideo.com/video/kahlanamnell/437FBA65F62747CF90C58205D28A3BB5/adam-curtis-power-of-nightmar.aspx">Link   more...to 3/3 of this section.</a>  less

Adam Curtis explores the roots of terrorism and neoconservatism and their development together only a few decades ago. Brought out through free download from Archive.org. First of three pieces to this   more...first section. <a href="http://www.livevideo.com/video/kahlanamnell/4D3A6AD696944BD3A398AFA44DA56C4F/adam-curtis-power-of-nightmar.aspx">section I part 2/3</a>
Links to part II and III forthcoming.  less

Politics - The Power of Nightmares, Part 1/ 3 Baby it's Cold Outside

In the past our politicians offered us dreams of a better world. Now they promise to protect us from nightmares.
The BBC documentary,The Power of Nightmares explores how the idea that we are threatened   more...by a hidden and organized terrorist network is an illusion.  less

In the past our politicians offered us dreams of a better world. Now they promise to protect us from nightmares.
The BBC documentary,The Power of Nightmares explores how the idea that we are threatened   more...by a hidden and organized terrorist network is an illusion.  less

The Power of Nightmares continues its assessment of whether the threat from a hidden and organised terrorist network is an illusion. Part two, the Phantom Victory looks at how two groups, radical Islamists   more...and neo-conservatives with seemingly opposing ideologies came together to defeat a common enemy.

On 25 December 1979, Soviet forces invaded Afghanistan.

Moscow was able to install a friendly government in a neighbouring country but at a price.

The invasion gave a common cause to an extraordinary alliance of radical Islamists in Afghanistan and around the world and to the neo-conservatives in the US.

It was a key battleground of the Cold War.

Washington provided money and arms including even Stinger missiles capable of shooting down Soviet helicopters.

But it was Islamic Mujahideen fighters who would fire them.

Among the many foreigners drawn to Afghanistan was a young, wealthy Saudi called Osama Bin Laden.

Long before 9/11, he would have been seen by neo-conservatives in Washington as one of their foot soldiers, helping fight America's cause.

After nearly 10 years of fighting, Soviet troops pulled out of Afghanistan.

Both the neo-conservatives and the Islamists believed that it is they who defeated the "evil empire" and now had the power to transform the world.

But both failed in their revolutions.

In response, the neo-conservatives invented a new fantasy enemy, Bill Clinton, focusing on the scandal surrounding him and Monica Lewinsky.

Meanwhile, the Islamists descend into a desperate cycle of violence and terror to try to persuade the people to follow them.

Out of all this comes the seeds of the strange world of fantasy, deception, violence and fear in which we now live.  less

First piece of the Second Section. Adam Curtis explores the roots of terrorism and neoconservatism and more...their development together only a few decades ago. Brought out through free download from   more...Archive.org.
<a href="http://www.livevideo.com/video/kahlanamnell/5C7CBD9CC57A4625A4B73BFE9415F5BB/adam-curtis-power-of-nightmar.aspx"> Shadows in the Cave 1/2</a>  less

Third section of the Power of Nightmares. Adam Curtis explores the roots of terrorism and neoconservatism and their development together only a few decades ago. Brought out through free download from   more...Archive.org.
<a href="http://www.livevideo.com/video/kahlanamnell/0EF9DFD4E7DE415DB559A9EB8811B220/adam-curtis-power-of-nightmar.aspx">Shadows in the Cave Part 2/2</a>  less

First piece of the Second Section. Adam Curtis explores the roots of terrorism and neoconservatism and more...their development together only a few decades ago. Brought out through free download from   more...Archive.org.
<a href="http://www.livevideo.com/video/kahlanamnell/38101D0977BD4C7FA46B8BB58B5781B6/adam-curtis-power-of-nightmar.aspx">Back to first part</a>  less

Second piece of the Second Section. Adam Curtis explores the roots of terrorism and neoconservatism and their development together only a few decades ago. Brought out through free download from Archive.org.   more...
<a href="http://www.livevideo.com/video/kahlanamnell/4C6073EFA4C94B51AA239127EC8FEB51/adam-curtis-power-of-nightmar.aspx">Last part of Phantom Victory</a>
  less

The Power of Nightmares; the Rise of the Politics of Fear (Preview)
Part1) http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=881321004838285177
Part2) http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=4602171665328041876
  more...Part3) http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=2081592330319789254

A BBC documentary series consisting of three one-hour films.
As of Feb 2008, these films have not yet been shown by any US TV stations.

The films compare the rise of the American Neo-Conservative movement and the radical Islamist movement, making comparisons on their origins and noting strong similarities between the two. More controversially, it argues that the threat of radical Islamism as a massive, sinister organised force of destruction, specifically in the form of al-Qaeda, is in fact 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.  less

Should we be worried about the threat from organised terrorism or is it simply a phantom menace being used to stop society from falling apart?
In the past our politicians offered us dreams of a better   more...world. Now they promise to protect us from nightmares.

The most frightening of these is the threat of an international terror network. But just as the dreams were not true, neither are these nightmares.

In a new series, the Power of Nightmares explores how the idea that we are threatened by a hidden and organized terrorist network is an illusion.

It is a myth that has spread unquestioned through politics, the security services and the international media. At the heart of the story are two groups: the American neo-conservatives and the radical Islamists.
Both were idealists who were born out of the failure of the liberal dream to build a better world.
These two groups have changed the world but not in the way either intended.
Together they created today's nightmare vision of an organised terror network.
A fantasy that politicians then found restored their power and authority in a disillusioned age. Those with the darkest fears became the most powerful.
The rise of the politics of fear begins in 1949 with two men whose radical ideas would inspire the attack of 9/11 and influence the neo-conservative movement that dominates Washington.

Both these men believed that modern liberal freedoms were eroding the bonds that held society together.

The two movements they inspired set out, in their different ways, to rescue their societies from this decay. But in an age of growing disillusion with politics, the neo-conservatives turned to fear in order to pursue their vision.

They would create a hidden network of evil run by the Soviet Union that only they could see.

The Islamists were faced by the refusal of the masses to follow their dream and began to turn to terror to force the people to "see the truth"'.  less

<B>Read Description for a link to pt 2</b>
Should we be worried about the threat from organised terrorism or is it simply a phantom menace being used to stop society from falling apart?
In the   more...past our politicians offered us dreams of a better world. Now they promise to protect us from nightmares.
<a href="http://www.livevideo.com/video/ConspiracyCentral/3E249298C4A94928854CE6F5F66BDB38/the-power-of-nightmares-part.aspx">Click Here for pt 2</a>
The most frightening of these is the threat of an international terror network. But just as the dreams were not true, neither are these nightmares.

In a new series, the Power of Nightmares explores how the idea that we are threatened by a hidden and organized terrorist network is an illusion.

It is a myth that has spread unquestioned through politics, the security services and the international media. At the heart of the story are two groups: the American neo-conservatives and the radical Islamists.
Both were idealists who were born out of the failure of the liberal dream to build a better world.
These two groups have changed the world but not in the way either intended.
Together they created today's nightmare vision of an organised terror network.
A fantasy that politicians then found restored their power and authority in a disillusioned age. Those with the darkest fears became the most powerful.
The rise of the politics of fear begins in 1949 with two men whose radical ideas would inspire the attack of 9/11 and influence the neo-conservative movement that dominates Washington.

Both these men believed that modern liberal freedoms were eroding the bonds that held society together.

The two movements they inspired set out, in their different ways, to rescue their societies from this decay. But in an age of growing disillusion with politics, the neo-conservatives turned to fear in order to pursue their vision.

They would create a hidden network of evil run by the Soviet Union that only they could see.

The Islamists were faced by the refusal of the masses to follow their dream and began to turn to terror to force the people to "see the truth"'.  less

<b>Read Description for a link to part 2</b>
Should we be worried about the threat from organised terrorism or is it simply a phantom menace being used to stop society from falling apart?
In   more...the past our politicians offered us dreams of a better world. Now they promise to protect us from nightmares.
<a href="http://www.livevideo.com/video/ConspiracyCentral/7EC271C03F7440EBBEA63A15609BF2E2/the-power-of-nightmares-part.aspx">Click Here</a> for the third installment of this video series.<br>
The most frightening of these is the threat of an international terror network. But just as the dreams were not true, neither are these nightmares.

In a new series, the Power of Nightmares explores how the idea that we are threatened by a hidden and organised terrorist network is an illusion.

It is a myth that has spread unquestioned through politics, the security services and the international media. At the heart of the story are two groups: the American neo-conservatives and the radical Islamists.
Both were idealists who were born out of the failure of the liberal dream to build a better world.
These two groups have changed the world but not in the way either intended.
Together they created today's nightmare vision of an organised terror network.
A fantasy that politicians then found restored their power and authority in a disillusioned age. Those with the darkest fears became the most powerful.
The rise of the politics of fear begins in 1949 with two men whose radical ideas would inspire the attack of 9/11 and influence the neo-conservative movement that dominates Washington.

Both these men believed that modern liberal freedoms were eroding the bonds that held society together.

The two movements they inspired set out, in their different ways, to rescue their societies from this decay. But in an age of growing disillusion with politics, the neo-conservatives turned to fear in order to pursue their vision.

They would create a hidden network of evil run by the Soviet Union that only they could see.

The Islamists were faced by the refusal of the masses to follow their dream and began to turn to terror to force the people to "see the truth"'.  less

<B>Read Description for a link to pt 2</b>
Should we be worried about the threat from organised terrorism or is it simply a phantom menace being used to stop society from falling apart?
In the   more...past our politicians offered us dreams of a better world. Now they promise to protect us from nightmares.
<a href="http://www.livevideo.com/video/ConspiracyCentral/7F6EE953B45642F3B5FDDC46EACEA3A6/the-power-of-nightmares-part-2.aspx">Click Here for pt 2</a>

The most frightening of these is the threat of an international terror network. But just as the dreams were not true, neither are these nightmares.

In a new series, the Power of Nightmares explores how the idea that we are threatened by a hidden and organised terrorist network is an illusion.

It is a myth that has spread unquestioned through politics, the security services and the international media. At the heart of the story are two groups: the American neo-conservatives and the radical Islamists.
Both were idealists who were born out of the failure of the liberal dream to build a better world.
These two groups have changed the world but not in the way either intended.
Together they created today's nightmare vision of an organised terror network.
A fantasy that politicians then found restored their power and authority in a disillusioned age. Those with the darkest fears became the most powerful.
The rise of the politics of fear begins in 1949 with two men whose radical ideas would inspire the attack of 9/11 and influence the neo-conservative movement that dominates Washington.

Both these men believed that modern liberal freedoms were eroding the bonds that held society together.

The two movements they inspired set out, in their different ways, to rescue their societies from this decay. But in an age of growing disillusion with politics, the neo-conservatives turned to fear in order to pursue their vision.

They would create a hidden network of evil run by the Soviet Union that only they could see.

The Islamists were faced by the refusal of the masses to follow their dream and began to turn to terror to force the people to "see the truth"'.  less

<b>Read Description for a link to the second installment of this amazing 3 part documentary</b>
Should we be worried about the threat from organised terrorism or is it simply a phantom menace   more...being used to stop society from falling apart?
In the past our politicians offered us dreams of a better world. Now they promise to protect us from nightmares.
<a href="http://www.livevideo.com/video/ConspiracyCentral/96F817E5536D4161AF78E445C46B6973/the-power-of-nightmares-part-2.aspx">Click Here</a> for the second installment of this video

The most frightening of these is the threat of an international terror network. But just as the dreams were not true, neither are these nightmares.

In a new series, the Power of Nightmares explores how the idea that we are threatened by a hidden and organised terrorist network is an illusion.

It is a myth that has spread unquestioned through politics, the security services and the international media. At the heart of the story are two groups: the American neo-conservatives and the radical Islamists.
Both were idealists who were born out of the failure of the liberal dream to build a better world.
These two groups have changed the world but not in the way either intended.
Together they created today's nightmare vision of an organised terror network.
A fantasy that politicians then found restored their power and authority in a disillusioned age. Those with the darkest fears became the most powerful.
The rise of the politics of fear begins in 1949 with two men whose radical ideas would inspire the attack of 9/11 and influence the neo-conservative movement that dominates Washington.

Both these men believed that modern liberal freedoms were eroding the bonds that held society together.

The two movements they inspired set out, in their different ways, to rescue their societies from this decay. But in an age of growing disillusion with politics, the neo-conservatives turned to fear in order to pursue their vision.

They would create a hidden network of evil run by the Soviet Union that only they could see.

The Islamists were faced by the refusal of the masses to follow their dream and began to turn to terror to force the people to "see the truth"'.  less