The Power of Nightmares Part II

This is one of three in a BBC series that charts the rise of and similarities between radical Islamists and the neo-conservative political activists. It's presented clearly, chronologically, with fairly entertaining, if random video footage (b-roll) to supplement the interviews. One creepy scene had home video from a car driving around at night in DC in 1991, presumably during the US invasion of Iraq, part I. There was no real point but it was gripping footage, like something was about to blow up.

Anyhow, there are creepy similarities between the politics of fear used by the Islamists and the Neo-cons. Both end up basically hating the populace after their tactics fail. For example, the whole persecution of Bill Clinton for his supposed sex crimes, perjury, whitewater, etc. fit into the Neo-con (and by association, Islamist) agenda by trying to rid the world of a moderate. But in the end, no one really cared enough to impeach him.

The soundtrack is Eno, from Another Green World, which is pretty cool. Those Brits stick together I guess. No watch checks but I was a little tipsy so that.

I think the opening monologue talked about the "myth" of Al Quadae and how it's pumped up by the media. That's probably true but the director Adam Curtis kind of gave it drive-by treatment. I'll go a-looking for the other two DVDs in the series. Rock.

Oh, and there wasn't a single woman interviewed in the hour and a half of dialogue. Probably those Islamists' fault for not recruiting more females, I gather. (sarcasm). Well maybe men did it all -- but not according to Charlie Wilson's War. Julia Roberts character had blood on her manicured hands.