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Adam CurtisThe Power of Nightmares

This film explores the origins in the 1940s and 50s of Islamic Fundamentalism in the Middle East, and Neoconservatism in America, parallels between these movements, and their effect on the world today. From the introduction to Part 1:

"Both [the Islamists and Neoconservatives] were idealists who were born out of the failure of the liberal dream to build a better world. And both had a very similar explanation for what caused that failure. These two groups have changed the world, but not in the way that either intended. Together, they created todayÃÂÃÂs nightmare vision of a secret, organized evil that threatens the world. A fantasy that politicians then found restored their power and authority in a disillusioned age. And those with the darkest fears became the most powerful. " The Power of Nightmares, Baby It's Cold Outside.

Part 1 - Baby it's Cold Outside | 64kbps | 256 kbps | mpeg2
Part 2 - The Phantom Victory | 64kbps | 256 kbps | mpeg2
Part 3 - The Shadows in the Cave | 64kbps | 256 kbps | mpeg2

An NTSC DVD ISO is available to make burning this to DVD easier.


This movie is part of the collection: Feature Films

Producer: Adam Curtis
Production Company: BBC
Audio/Visual: sound, color
Keywords: Adam Curtis

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Reviewer: jpcruz - - September 8, 2008
Subject: Enlightening
A powerfull insight on two paralell ideological trends of the contemporary world, one of a more political nature, other more religious, but both engaged on twisted, maquiqueist and uthopical visions of moral truth and social perfection. And both aimed at disaster. Dismissing it as propaganda is clearly assuming that one didn't even saw the films, that in no point claims, for instance, that the Soviet Union was not a threat.

Reviewer: rob13 - - August 30, 2008
Subject: Source of music
A few people are asking about the music. One particular piece that is repeated throughout is "Investigation Of A Citizen Above Suspicion" by Ennio Morricone.

Reviewer: dissolved - - August 2, 2008
Subject: One of the most enjoyable and insightful documentaries in recent history
As for the opening theme (in all 3 parts), it's Brian Eno's 'The Ship' which is off of the album 'Another Green World.'

Reviewer: BRobert - - July 18, 2008
Subject: Pure Propaganda
I am 65 years old and have experience with communism and most recently 9/11. What fiction can you spin on these events?

It is not exciting to believe in evil; nevertheless, it is reality.

Power is also a force as strong as money. In these areas you will always find terrorism.

How can you place spin on people blowing up themselves and others?

Liberalism versus conservatism will color each others pages with different hues.

Liberal minds will surely see the light at the end of the tunnel upon the blast.

Reviewer: lump516 - - July 13, 2008
Subject: Smoothly Made, Thoroughly Wrong-Headed
Just a few points. I am no expert on history, so I will no doubt be shredded:

The original Neconservatives were never liberals. They were ex-Communists who became disillusioned with their original Great Dream. Moving from the Left to the Right, they brought their puritanical disdain for humanity and their gift for internicene warfare with them. Oh, and their conviction that they knew what was best for everybody.

There WAS a Soviet Threat. Maybe not directly to the U. S., but certainly to the West in general. You doubt this? Ask a Czech or an Estonian. If the Soviet threat is gone, there's sure as heck a Russian one, as anyone in Chechnya could tell you.

Islamic Fundamentalism may have become more public in the past 40 years or so, but it was always there--in the mosques and backrooms of many Arab countries. It was repressed, first by the colonial powers and then by the first wave of dictators that replaced them, but it never went away.

The maker of this film is right that the terror card has been played too often by power-hungry conservatives, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist. The trick is dealing with it sensibly. Which mean showing both the Bush crowd and the left-wing fantasists out of the room so that the grown-ups can figure out what to do next . . .

Reviewer: catfishbob - - July 13, 2008
Subject: Music by Brian Eno
Somebody wrote asking about the music. It's by Brian Eno, if my memory serves me, either "Another Green World" or "Before and after Science".

Reviewer: StotchX - - July 6, 2008
Subject: Let information be free
Enough said

Reviewer: kris1999 - - July 6, 2008
Subject: This is still in copyright
Mr. Walden is correct, this is a BBC film so it should NOT be in archive.org because it is still under copyright.

But I can't find any obvious way to report this to the maintainers of archive.org. Am I missing something?

Reviewer: Danny Eller - - June 30, 2008
Subject: Well done but still Idiotic!
The premise that "Neoconservatives" used or rather fabricated the Soviet threat in order to control the US Population is flat out ludicrous, period. The documentary states that the Soviet threat was manufactured but fails to take into account the Soviets vast buildup of forces throughout Eastern Europe, their expansion throughout the Stans, their use of either the country’s military itself or Guerilla Armies from Cuba, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Columbia and others in a proxy-war not only against the US but against all Western Democracies.

The producers of this "Documentary" go on to equate the threat of Islamic Terrorists with the “manufactured” Soviet threat as another manufactured threat in order for the Neoconservatives to use as a way to instill fear in and control of the US population. They fail to account for the 3000 dead on 9/11 (mostly Americans but which also included innocent victims from over 80 countries) nor do they account for the numerous other attacks against both the US and other Western countries over the past two decades. Attacks like the 1993 bombing of the twin towers in New York, the bombing of two US Embassies in Africa resulting in the deaths of hundreds of innocent Africans, the bombings of the trains in Spain and the buses in Great Britain, all resulting in numerous deaths of innocent people. Yes I guess then that the threat of Islamic terrorism is manufactured...yeah right.

Reviewer: Jow - - May 31, 2008
Subject: excellent
Superb documentary...his other documentaries are also amazing see the Century of the Self, Power of Nightmares, Pandora's box and the Mayfair Set on this website.

See these also:

Mayfair Set
http://www.archive.org/details/The_Mayfair_Set_Part_1
http://www.archive.org/details/TheMayfairSetPart2
http://www.archive.org/details/The_Mayfair_Set_Part_3
http://www.archive.org/details/Mayfair_Set_4

Pandora's Box (DVD) format
http://www.archive.org/details/Pandoras_Box_DVD_1_of_3
http://www.archive.org/details/Pandoras_Box_DVD_2_of_3
http://www.archive.org/details/Pandoras_Box_DVD_3_of_3

Century of the Self
http://www.archive.org/details/AdaCurtisCenturyoftheSelf_0
http://www.archive.org/details/The.Century.of.Self.Part.2.The.Engineering.of.Consent
http://www.archive.org/details/AdamCurtisCenturyoftheSelfPart2of4
http://www.archive.org/details/AdamCurtisCenturyoftheSelfPart3of4
http://www.archive.org/details/AdamCurtisCenturyoftheSelfPart4of4_0

Power of Nightmares (MPEG2)
http://www.archive.org/details/ThePowerOfNightmares

Power of Nightmares DVD format
http://www.archive.org/details/ThePowerOfNightmaresDVD

The Trap
http://www.archive.org/details/AdamCurtisTheTrap

Reviewer: Mr. Walden - - May 30, 2008
Subject: Why is this here?
On what basis is this included in the Feature Films archive? Is it public domain? If so, its status should be included in the written portion. A permission from the BBC ought to be referenced.

Reviewer: freddyzdead - - May 25, 2008
Subject: All those "crises"
This is to PH1941 who seems to think that global warming and the degeneration of the American health care system are "false myths". What rockhave you been living under? I live in Australia, which has the best health care system in the world. I have lots of relatives in the USA and I have seen firsthand how deprived they are in this area. You are enslaved by your HMO and powerless to do anything about it or go anywhere else.

The global warming is obvious to see, although there is still a slim possibility that it is a cyclic phenomenon, like ice ages, and is normal. Nobody seems to know what triggers ice ages, or whether we may have already started one.

None of that has anything to do with this doco, which is obviously biased, but not as much as Michael Moore's stuff. Or the BS that comes out of Washington.

Reviewer: Digital Earl - - May 24, 2008
Subject: Stuff you'll never see or hear from US commercial media.
A documentary like this, comparing the histories of the rise of neoconservatism in the West and the rise of extreme Islamism in the Middle East, side by side, would be considered "too hot to handle" by the US commercial media, if not outright un-American and treasonous.

This is the problem with US commercial news, which is corporate controlled and entertainment driven (profit driven). They, except for shows like Frontline on PBS, very literally sell out the truth.

So, thank goodness for the Beeb, and thanks to the Internet Archive for hosting this thorough, controversial and very important historical overview.

Reviewer: danno636 - - May 24, 2008
Subject: Good stuff....
not too bad, i'm just a little puzzled why the Korean War or more of the vietnam war weren't factored in but not bad at all

WHAT IS THE NAME OF THE OPENING TRACK???? ITS GREAT?? ANYONE?

Reviewer: teachmasturbation - - May 20, 2008
Subject: Trouble viewing
I downloaded "17iUt9Td.iso.part" to my Macbook and was unable to mount the image or open it with VLC. Any ideas? I'd hate to abandon this 4.1 GB file.

Thanks.

Reviewer: akcamay - - April 22, 2008
Subject: The Nightmare you also continue
Though some of this might be true this is a clear piece of propaganda. it does not appear that any one is capable of producing truth. This claims that we are delusioned, and it adds to that delusion as well.

Reviewer: 129CBRider - - April 1, 2008
Subject: Old enough to have been there.
I'm old enough, 59, to have lived through all of this in the USA and have a good enough BS detector my whole life to be able to say that it is all true about the Neo-Conservitavists and I have kept up with the US foreign policies over the years to know about funding the fight against the Russians, the BS accusations against the Clinton's (you'll notice no one is bringing any of that crap up in this election run-off), the credit that Reagan took for the fall of Russia even tho they were broke and were put under by their economy, or lack of it. I also understand that it is ideas that are the weapons of world conflict now with violence as the esclamation points. No single violent act can change anything in the world today except cause the families of those harmed great greavience.

All in all it is a truthful and revealing series and I don't doubt a word of it.

Reviewer: ChthonicTonic - - March 25, 2008
Subject: Helpful information?
To Not an American --
I know that American PBS, here in the states, has many documentaries with transcripts available. Many can be viewed online and purchased (if desired). I imagine the same might be true of BBC programmes. I suppose it just matters if your students are learning American English or Imperial English. Good luck with your classes!
-Thomas

Reviewer: firedog barking - - March 10, 2008
Subject: How do you know if you are dreamimg?
Lots of information to understand in one viewing.You know the part when they put German sheppard dogs in their cells? I hate that. Ironic, how the certified assholes are always in power over the short written history of this planet. Luckily, Mother Earth will come to the rescue and shake the psychotic humanoids off the planet and the next evolutionary species will hopefully be better than this sad moronic world that we had to have been born into. The answer to the above question is "you don't". Tip, make nice.

Reviewer: Not an American - - February 7, 2008
Subject: Hyroglyphs
I have enjoyed this documentary, and I use it with my Advanced students when teaching them English. Why? Because it is one of the few documentaries where you can get a complete transcript.
Today, for the first time, I read some of he reviews. One really offends me. I can hear the supercilious, superior, "I understand things that you morons cannot understand" tone of the writer. He uses the following words in his post. SAD - GIVE ME A BREAK - PLEASE all wonderful little hyroglyphs for "if you don't agree with me - because I am superior to you - then you must be a moron"
I live in Prague, and there are times I'll leave a bar when I hear an American accent spouting forth with these "I know better than you" attitudes. Just stay home pal, please - sad - give me a break!

Reviewer: john54 - - February 3, 2008
Subject: subtitles
Really awsome documentary.

I edited the subtitles available on the net.
They are based on the transcript but did not match the audio.

I only did chapter1 so far, cause it's a lot of work. :)

See
http://subscene.com/english/The-Power-of-Nightmares-The-Rise-of-the-Politics-of-Fear/subtitle-126539.aspx

Reviewer: innernest - - February 2, 2008
Subject: Russian Weapons
In part 1, ~minute 29: If the United States did not have proof that the Russians were building more sophisticated weapons, is it not safer to assume that the enemy is as advanced to the limits of our imaginations to prepare for all possible threats?

Reviewer: babyloniangilgamesh - - January 17, 2008
Subject: Why has not been shown by in America ?
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/12/22/212041/57/454/425671

"An American network executive who wouldn't even let his name be used said "we would be crucified if we showed that here". These documentaries are like a graduate course in how the American and British public has been herded like cattle since the end of World War I."

Awaking for the invited !

Reviewer: Da Wizard - - December 3, 2007
Subject: A major contribution to the historical record
Among these reviews I see a lot of bickering about minor details and editorial bias, but one thing can not be denied: The Power of Nightmares presents factual information of grave importance in modern politics, that is not available anywhere else - and does so in a manner that is accessible to the public whose interests are most directly affected. Until or unless someone does this same job better, The Power of Nightmares will stand as the definitive summary of the history and mutual dependency of the NeoConservative and Islamic Radical movements.

Reviewer: cleanupguy - - November 12, 2007
Subject: CIA, Mossad, False Flag, and a *moderate* Nixon. . ?
I found this to be informative and effective in defusing the terrorist fear factor; both good things. However, there are a couple of fairly major points I wanted to raise before offering this film my endorsement. . .

1. No mention of the concept of False Flag operations. --That is, given the strong indications that the CIA and Mossad have been involved in many of the bombing incidents subsequently blamed on Islamic Terrorists, I find it disappointing that Curtis made no mention of this dimension of the problem. Perhaps, as a film maker, Curtis decided to avoid exploring this as it would have further complicated an already complex issue. But still. . , leaving out the London Train Bombings and all of the evidence of foul play stemming from within the government would have gone a long way to making this film a more complete exploration of the whole subject.

And I also found Curtis' presentation of the concept of Liberalism disingenuous. I realize that editorializing in a documentary is considered bad form, (though he certainly felt confident enough in making many bold statements without offering evidence), but I felt it was entirely inappropriate to present and leave dangling with no counter-argument the idea that Socialist values are the root cause of Western problems and by this omission, allowed it to stand a legitimate motivation for Neocons and Islamic terrorists, however poorly executed their actions. Curtis is clearly smart enough to know the power television has in planting ideas without being necessarily overt, and I found his doing this to be sneaky. --And presenting Bush Sr. , Nixon and the CIA as moderate forces. . ? Pardon me? I find it very difficult to believe that Curtis was unaware of the Iran Contra hearings and similar. Curtis strikes me as having more than just a bias. He's either a fool or he has some kind of creepy personal agenda.

So ignoring this and the various blind spots deliberately left in the material, this was a otherwise fairly decent film. But I wouldn't trust this Curtis guy any further than I could throw him.

Reviewer: Roy Ward - - August 19, 2007
Subject: Mostly good, but some distortions
I found this really well put together and thought provoking. I choked a bit in part 3 when the introduced the "precautionary principle" as "don't wait for the evidence", rather than "if an action or policy might cause severe or irreversible harm to the public, in the absence of a scientific consensus that harm would not ensue, the burden of proof falls on those who would advocate taking the action", which is quite different. If that distortion is in there, what others are there that I don't know about? There's also a lot of hyperbole in the introduction/conclusion.

I still think this is a must-see, as it puts a lot of historical threads together in a very watchable way, and helps expose something that is horrifying even if it is flawed by some exaggeration.

Reviewer: truthwillsaveus - - August 12, 2007
Subject: the real nightmare
the real nightmare is that our republic is more threatened every day by these fearmongers. this series should be required watching by everyone. going back to the roots, it is credible and comprehensive enough to be believable but concise enough for most thinking people to sit through. the biggest thing missing is the real neo-con ideal...MONEY AND POWER. the combined power of mega corporations (energy, military industry and contractors, pharmacuticals, etc) and the politicians owned by them to literally control public perception through the media which it also owns is allowing our constitution, our founding principles, and possibly our very futures to be destroyed. THE TRUTH WILL SAVE US!

Reviewer: blahblahblah12345 - - June 18, 2007
Subject: ummmm.....
chew on this for a second.

"History is a trick played on the dead."

this is a phrase that a history teacher once told me and it has always stuck with me. anytime i see a film like this or what have you i am always led to take the information with a grain of salt and to remind myself that no one ever has the whole story and that what we see and hear is the truth but unfortunatly it never will be the whole truth. why it is that we all fight it is beyond me.

Reviewer: G2G2 - - June 16, 2007
Subject: Brilliant
An accurate, unbiased, well researched look into the parallel formation of the Neo-Con philosophy and that of fundamentalist Islam. Puts todays events into proper perspective.

Reviewer: TadFromPoland - - June 1, 2007
Subject: Rules of this struggle
The first phase -- the liberal American society attracts people all over the world. They begin to adapt the principles of the liberal American society to their countries.

The second phase -- peoples like Qutb and the other Muslim Brotherhood members afraid of development of the principles of the liberal society in their countries begin to fight not only with their compatriots attracted by these principles but also with liberal societies that attract their compatriots so much.

The third phase -- American neoconservatists experienced in fighting against internal liberals and against foreign communists during the Cold War begin to organize society with the help of Christian fundamentalism in order to fight bravely against Islam fundamentalism.

The fourth phase -- the uncontrolled polarization is open. Two completely opposite set of social principles divide increasingly the world into two groups of peoples. The development of the worldwide market economy is halted and in places is even moved back.

CONCLUSIONS -- as long as any fundamentalists are allowed to set the tone for the worldwide information society, the liberals are ineffective. However, the attraction of going to the worldwide market economy works not in the fundamentalist environment but in the secular one: hence liberals will prevail anyway.

Hello, Steve (historydoc), does "the shallowness of this film" deserve the loss of four stars? I think that the loss of two stars is enough.

Hello, Jeffbbs, have you already found the subtitles? There are also at http://www.opensubtitles.org/en/subtitles/99954/the-power-of-nightmares-the-rise-of-the-politics-of-fear-en . Sadly, they aren't satisfactorily synchronized with the film.

Regards,
Tadeusz Lemańczyk
http://www.geocities.com/tadfrompoland/

Reviewer: Dan L. - - May 25, 2007
Subject: Interesting
Perhaps a little simplistic, but interesting given the limitations of time and the fact that the audience is not familiar with many of the historical facts in the piece. I'd watch a 20 hour version if it delved into more detail!

I think many of the stylistic tricks (e.g. such as the comical music when FBI terror arrests are proven to be total fiction) actually takes away from the piece. It makes it seem more biased. I think the facts should simply be allowed to speak for themselves (and do....). For example, the 'terror' arrests in Miami since this piece was made in 2004....a pure joke to be sure. The FBI and gov't can't stop falling all over itself to try to convince us there are sleeper cells in every neighbourhood.

I disagree with one of the fundamental assumptions of the documentantary which implies that this is a one-way street; a fiction which has been completely imposed on us. I think our reactions, fears, prejudices, and paranoia also have a considerable influence on politicians. As we 'drink the Kool-Aid' we and the politicians who run after our votes and respond to our fears also become complicit in the perpetration of myths. I also believe the media has acted shamelessly, particularly since 9/11/2001. They have not been there to call out ANYONE for abuses. Where were they before the Iraq war (pt 2)? Rumsfeld alone has told enough lies and 1/2-truths to warrant a warrant (no pun intended).

Video Quality: 4/5
Content: 4/5
Style: 3/5
Importance/pertinence: 5/5

Reviewer: congruent - - May 23, 2007
Subject: Creating his own "Nightmare"
Unfortunately this video is incredibly biased. And as others have pointed out, selectively edits little segments of video to create it's own "Nightmare" - the very thing it's trying to denounce in the video! The fact of the matter is, this man obviously has no idea what it means to be a "Neo-Conservative," his caricatures are unsurprisingly the same ones that 9/11 conspiracy theorists (Rosie O'Donell), "War for Oil" conspiracy theorists, and anti-capitalist socialists like to use. The first thing to look for when determining the objectivity of a movie is it's caricatures, how do they portray both sides? Do they present multiple (this is HUGE!) angles and evidence from the OTHER view point? People who say that "the war has caused more civilian deaths than terrorist's have ever caused..." are complete morons. Do you think that these Islamists are just upset at us for invading so one day they decided that it would be a good thing to kill some children? Recently a young boy was found tortured in Iraq by one of these "groups" - electrodes attached to his tongue. You people need to get your heads checked. A poll recently done shows that 1/4 Muslims in the United States think it's ok in some circumstances to bomb CIVILIANS to accomplish Allah's will. Now I'm not saying that Muslims are "bad" but there's obviously something a little off if they can say that. You people refuse to see how difficult it is to wage urban warfare in the middle of civilian dwellings. You refuse to see how these people lived under Saddam. Was their life better? Yes. But why? Because there wasn't a WAR with the very type of people that refused to let them live in peace. Imagine for a moment that in the United States you were FORCED to be of a particular religion, let's say Christianity. Would you want someone to do something about it?

Reviewer: PH1941 - - May 18, 2007
Subject: Thought provoking and very worthwhile
I hope the author of this film, which honestly and plainly exposes fear as a tool of manipulation for political power, will follow it up with something exposing the two other biggest false fears laid in front of the American (and world) people: The Global Warming "crisis" and the American Health Care "crisis".

No intelligent viewer will come away from this film without a greater understanding that the "bigger" a problem government attempts to fix, the bigger the underlying lies are.

I long ago abandoned the Republicans and Democrats here in the USA. They spend their energy splitting us, the electorate, into divisions just large enough to protect their power base - and no larger. If we knew the truth about the endless list of "emergencies"...we wouldn't need them much, would we?

Watch this film and then think about what other crisis situations are being created to scare the crap out of you and to scare you INTO believing things that just aren't true.

Reviewer: XDelusion - - May 13, 2007
Subject: Larger than George Bush
Of course the agenda's here are much older than the "Neo-Conservatives" and of course the Republican or Democratic parties for that matter.

None the less this film will help give you a larger understanding to some of the Major Problems at hand.

There are a couple Google Videos worth looking up.

One of them is:

Money as Debt.

The other is:

The Creation of the Global Union by: Robert Gaylon Ross, Sr.

These 3 videos in general should help open up new windows all together.

Reviewer: theshowpodcast.com - - May 3, 2007
Subject: THESHOWPODCAST.COM
hitler did not kill the jews.
the germans did!

George W. Bush did not kill 1 million plus innocent people. The USA did!

Throughout history people allow themselves to be lead blindly, into chaos, by their very own leaders.

Reviewer: adrianTRfilms - - May 2, 2007
Subject: Excellent, Informative Documentary
I am thrilled to have been introduced to this Documentary by a good friend. I found it to be a terrific summary of the events leading up to the war in Iraq as well as a solid explanation of the ideology behind our current political structures here and in the Middle East.

I highly recommend this film series; I think it should be show it as part of the public school curriculum.

In response to Kevin VandeWettering:
Anti-Bush propaganda film? Are you serious? Just because the facts may paint Bush in an unflattering light does not make those facts propaganda. I bet you think NPR is also anti-Bush propaganda. Aren't you paying attention?

Reviewer: Kevin VandeWettering - - April 25, 2007
Subject: Would have been an excellent documentary... but...
You might forget you were watching a liberal, anti-Bush propaganda film, but it is.

Equating our conservatives with the radical islamic movement is not justified. It's preposterous, but in keeping with the unwarranted hatred of Christians and conservatives among the liberals in our society.

This movie is a very well done, sometimes historically accurate if you can ignore the false premise that you can equate American conservatism with radical dissidence.

It paints Sayed Qutb as some sort of folk hero that was abused by the governments of the time and this is the reason he was a terrorist.

Poor Sayed. I, for one, couldn't be more pleased that this murdering lunatic is dead and I'm not too critical of the methods the Egyptians employed to get him to reveal his conspirators in the plot to flood the Nile delta causing massive death.

Reviewer: www.PNACATTACK.com - - April 12, 2007
Subject: Excellent Document movie - I have send link to movie for thousands!
Excellent document movie. I know 9/11 was inside job like Russian )799 too. MILITARY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX Part III after cold war ended, WARSAW IMPACT and DDR collapsed and USA biggest business - Arms industry faced silence. 2005 Word record! But FEAR FIRST! like 1964 and 1941..."a New Pearl Harbor" "SURPRICE" attack!
Allowed by Bush administration. Executed/allowed by Bush administration. Trauned by ISI. Maybe MOSSAD too. Like they do Kurds now too and like they helped Saddam against IRAN.

Reviewer: MrTruth - - March 31, 2007
Subject: Attention: Floff
You said that born again Christian leaders, Bush and Blair and our brave soldiers, have killed your children etc.

Firstly: Who said Bush and Blair are true born again Christians? Just because someone claims to be Christian, doesnt mean they are true born again Christians. For example, even the Italian mafia claim to be Christians.

Secondly: Who are you to try to justify the killings done through your false religion?

Reviewer: curtis_adams - - March 31, 2007
Subject: Bad Idea
Here is a bad idea. Stay up for a couple of days. Make sure you don't sleep at all. Drink a lot of coffee or whatever you have to do to get you to that walking dead level of perception, you know, loopy. Also, shut yourself off from everyone. Don't talk to anyone, not your family or your friends or anyone. Shutyourself in the basement and try to keep the lights low. Surf the internet for as long as you can stand, but be sure to only go to sites that talk about 911 or other politically charged conspiracy laden topics. Also, you may want to look up obscure scientists and philosophers that have sort of a spooky feel. I recommend Norbert Wiener and maybe Hegel (existentialism is cool too, but it can get too optimistic for the mood I'm trying to create). So by now you should be thinking that the CIA has tapped all your phones, everyone you know is a government informant and the Chinese are going to come marching down main street any day now. If not, declare yourself an avowed Marxist, don't shave for a while, and if you have to go out for cigarettes or whatever, wear an eye patch on your least favorite eye (mines the left). Now, some of you may be saying "Marxist, me, never." That's cool, just replace that nasty word with any "red flag" movements that you feel comfortable with, Branch Dravidian, Unibrower, Dimes and Nickels. Anything that will pointlessly and ridiculously draw the ire of Big Brother (but don't go overboard. We want to get paranoid, not arrested). Once you've done all this, watch these movies. Like I said. Bad Idea.

Reviewer: GilGaShem - - March 29, 2007
Subject: Limits to the mind and behavior oh my...!
Well lets see... kind of awkward being someone ain't it huh? mmmh lets see well first of, to be human, takes a very special dosage of limitations to be human, kind of like concocting that ultimate sweet essence who'll swoon every women off her feet and into yours arms mmmmhh ( heavy duty thinking) i hear cogs turning and crushing with a sickening shrill of metal filings grinding against metal.

Lets see. Being human, what 's it all about being human. It means being limited in cetain ways that make you conform to being human at least so it goes between the greater numbers of humans, so they let us feel and reason so right?

Lets see, science has only evolved so much, tehre's still no such things as time machines and secret man made flying objects called space vehicles, also there no such thing as an orbital space station around mars and tehre's no such thing as free energy, thre 's only oil and there will only be energy big uncle sam can meter, what use is there to energy uncle sam can't meter, how's that to be charged anyway, huh nonsense, we need good old reliable mater friendly energy uncle sam can pocket the profit, now that is talking.

We haven't yet gone to mars, you know, there really was no civilization there ever, don't you get any ideas.

Oh and teh sr-71 better known as black bird and its previous projects were just a creation of humans you know, no help from any other civilization, that was just a human project , no foreign help.

Also when you look at venus or any other planet or star during nightime, that maybe a ufo rather than what you think it is, i mean just like going to your local mcdonalds, you look at it, think it's a mcdonald's and yet it isn't, you see it is just your imagination, everybody knows that people are prone to see things, i mean, you can be looking at a thing up there in the sky and think it's a weather baloon and go like " Oh i seen a weather balloon , i seen a weather balloon!" when in fact it's just a displacement vehicle from an octillion possible regions of outer space, probably from around sirius which accounts for like 10 per cent of the probabilities, so in fact it' what you s«could call a ufo, not a weather balloon ok.

And oh when you see BUsh on TV, well, maybe it's not bush at all, maybe it's just your friend larry doing a prank on you, i mean we cannot trust our own eyes, we can't let such important things be let on teh whims of senses can we?

So that if Bush says he wants to protect americans, mmmh, maybe he means the opposite, maybe what he means to say is, he means to kill all americans, or at least most of them anyway, mmmhh yes i know he means well...

I know Mr.president Bush means well... but what if by making us think he means well he is actually meaning to do us harm, i mean, like killing us all, like gassing us or mind controlling us into freezing ourselves to death in teh nearest lake or just eat and drink ourselves to death with coke and burgers or something like that, have you ever thought about it?

So lets see, mmmh everybody's driving a hard bargain here huh?

Reviewer: goop - - March 22, 2007
Subject: Stupid people...
This is a VERY well put together documentary. Two very common misconceptions I have noticed are:
1. Terrorism is not a threat.
--This documentary does NOT say terrorism is not a threat in ANY way--they say ORGANIZED terrorism is not a threat. They make that point blatently obvious.
2. This documentary is liberal "trash."
--Another example of ignorance (i.e. people not watching the documentary). This documentary bashes liberalism as much as it does anything else--conservatism (not neoconservatism) is the most practical according to this documentary.

GET YOUR HEADS OUT FROM UNDER THE SAND AND WATCH IT...

Reviewer: floff - - March 20, 2007
Subject: just a thought
i'd just like to point out that despite the brutal deaths caused by islamic fundamentalists, far, far more innocent men women and children have been killed in the name of freedom by our born again Christian leaders, Bush and Blair and our brave soldiers.

Reviewer: mstamper - - March 17, 2007
Subject: Absolutely brilliant
How fortunate we are that a film of this power is available to download and view. A devastating indictment of fundamentalism of every sort. Negative reviews consist of gems like "Without having seen this film, I can already tell what a joke it is." To "review" something without bothering to see it is so ludicrous that no further comment is necessary. This should be seen by every American.

Reviewer: debut1 - - March 11, 2007
Subject: seing from the inside it may well be power of dream
first, congrats., for the architectonic constructs of all three parts.as a documentary i would rate this very high, not so much for cinematography as for the explanatory commentry.all three parts are linked on a time horizon of history rather than the `combo' style of m moore.i learnt about the influence of leo strauss for the first time though i wont read the book, `natural right and history' since i dont think he would exceed c schmidt's theological , manichean idea of the political.
i think that you have exaggerated real power controls excercised by the neocons.
the combined creation of this nightmarish vision by both the islamists and neocons has definitely eclipsed the liberal dream.this is a definite danger signal to the world that lives outside islamists and neocon `visions'.it appears that the gains of enlightenment have been annuled by a return of god/manifest destiny/divine providence/post-mytered promised paradise - gymnosophism- by means of extreme violence, fear and war. confected theology has hybridized politics. i wont extend the arguement by saying that the world, as of now, is returning to the monstrous middle ages.what is worrisome is the ousting of the left over reason by hybrid religions, call it wahabism or post-millennial christian fundamentalism.serious distortion of history is on a warpath.
yet, both islamism and neocon fundamentalism are united at the level of abstract universality of monotheism.your documentary shows how this power of meme results in reciprocal warfare and terror.
basic differences, in functional terms are more important. the army, on the one side is under the command and trained in ideology at best, but the army on the other side - meaning people- are giving some meaning to their deaths - the suicide bomber is staking his/her life for the protection and good of others of his/her kind, in terms of belief.Even though all this is a part of military strategy [of the lessor armed], still one cannot ignore such fundamental acts on the plane of simple being as meaningful death. For the weaker side, a meaning is forced in the act where a simple tribal human being turns out to be a moral subject who has taken the fear of sting from death.In this context of infinite war that exceeds total war,death of civilians and innocents is very much a part and parcel of the deadly, nightmarish reality. The horizon of your documentary has grasped the reality of a living nightmare.Thanks.

Reviewer: tom500k - - March 7, 2007
Subject: Help Save the Constitution! See Power of Nightm.
Adam Curtis reveals the complex truth about Bush's war and power grab in a compelling fashion. He starts in the 1940s to show how the US government in its lust for empire, and against the knowledge much less the wishes of its own citizens, created worldwide death, misery and blowback.

It's hardly a surprise that this BBC masterpiece can not be viewed on TV in the US , but only on the Internet.

Watch the first 10 minutes, and I promise you that you will view the entire 3 hours series.

Reviewer: James Joyce - - February 8, 2007
Subject: THE TRUTH ABOUT IRAQI WAR
"TPONM," has not been shown by in America. This is not correct. It must be shown. As an Independant who supported the Iraq invasion out of fear of nuke attack on America, I now know I was played and took the bait. I have spit it out. I now feel that cheney, rummy and bush all belong in jail. They morphed a legitimate war against a terrorist organization, into a war for oil............

This entire lot belongs in jail.................

Reviewer: Schmazly - - January 31, 2007
Subject: A note to detractors
I liked a few comments I read indicating that the role of Democrats were not clearly protrayed in the film. Still, the connection with Leo Strauss was great, and for all those who view the movie as shit I encourage them to learn who Leo Strauss was. His book "Natural Right and History" would be a good start. Rumsfeld et al. worship this guy, if only in certain company. The way I see it, you either agree with Strauss's ideas against popular democracy or you don't. Please don't just spout terms like, "this is leftist shit". Read, and then address the real issue - as Strauss does.

Reviewer: AlexJonesLemming - - January 26, 2007
Subject: Neo-Cons, Tri-Lateralists, Al-Qaeda
This film illuminates a whole lot about scary problems are facing America (and the world) from within, but the main place this falls short -- and looks "liberal" like F911 -- is that it gives a pass to the Dem Party. The DLC and the Tri-Lateral Elites hold nearly the same concepts and goals as the Neo-cons, usually re-framed in "soft-cop" terms.

If you delve into some of the quotes of Leo Strauss, and follow through with Michael Ledeen, the AEI (home of the "Surge option") and the sister PNAC group, look at their American Nazi roots, you will be amazed. There's the Repub Party. There's the Contract on America gang. THEN there's the Neo-Cons farther down the spectrum.

However Zbig Brzezinski's statements about a Technotronic Society of Elites managing the populace by FEAR and propaganda fed by "magnetic personalities" is a near parallel to the Neo-Cons attitude towards the masses and self-rule.

Everyone is a MORON except them.

What's fuzzy to me is the difference between the Al-Qaeda that the CIA helped create and then COVERTLY supported for DECADES though the late 1990's --- versus an Al-Qaeda that might exist independently of CIA. Who knows if there really is an independent Al-Qaeda that is not a subsidiary of CIA? I don't.

Deeper discussion on "War and Globalization" by Dr. Michel Chossudovsky. The AUDIO is on archive.org, for vid go to takeoverworld.info or snowshoefilms.

ENTERTAINING show, compared to many Alex Jones flicks which can get grueling.

Reviewer: Ghosheh - - January 16, 2007
Subject: More out there
Excellent programm. From a Muslim's point of view, me, I agree with much of the points made. The "Islamists" were radicalized to the extreme, or over the edge, by the brutal governments AND their own lack of understanding of the soul and spirit of Islam. I can see them every where. My fear is that with the “War on Terror” many Muslims are drifting to their side. The concept of an “Islamic State” is another fable.
Additionally, the forces of the extreme from both sides have united with the forces of power, money and plain greed. Do you know that Iraq will be the LAST country in the world to run out of Oil. It is followed by Kuwait, then Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE and so on. Did you know that the FIRST country to run out of oil will be the USA? There is much more to this than just 2 crazy factions fighting it out. There is the China threat, the Iranina threat, the Eroupian Union Threat. The Neos will get a new threat for you when the first one is faild. It is thier source of power. OK, Iam rambling.

Reviewer: Jeffbbs - - January 14, 2007
Subject: Subtitles
Does anyone know of a place you can get subtitles in other languages for this? I live in Korea and want to show this to my friends but can't find any subtitles. help?

Reviewer: goodseed - - January 13, 2007
Subject: Less propaganda, more truth.
It was a good documentary with good information and an obvious bias. Check google video for "The Clinton Chronicles" and "Obstruction of Justice--The Mena Connection." Also see "Mena Connection: Compromised: Clinton, Bush and the CIA, Drug smuggling."

If you want to know more about what the neo-cons do, see "911 Mysteries" and "TerrorStorm" on google video.

The truth is much more complicated than "Power of Nightmares" leads us to believe. "Power of Nightmares," like "Farenhiet 911," is a soft sell.

Reviewer: Martin Weir - - January 11, 2007
Subject: Like it
cool

Reviewer: slartybardfast - - January 11, 2007
Subject: Pretty good
It is definitely worth watching regardless of your politics (assuming you have an open mind). Seems to have some bias to it, however, it does raise some interesting questions and things I didnt know.

Reviewer: sufi786 - - January 5, 2007
Subject: strongly urge you to download these films
I also strongly urge you to download these films, burn them to DVD or CD, and show them to as many people as possible.

because every body has right to know the truth

Reviewer: vaporlock - - January 2, 2007
Subject: Great!!!
This documentary will be a learning experience for most people; although, people who are too wrapped in their own ideology or have too short attention spans may have a problem sticking with it through all three episodes. Even if you only take what the interviewed people say about themselves, without the context created by the film maker, it is scary enough. Throw in the film maker's ideas, and its very scary. The few one stars listed in the review section seem to be people that either didn't really watch the film, people who read a few things about it and formed a hard and fast opinion before they saw the film, or sheeple who listen to too much Rush Limbaugh and are incapable of understanding that they have been lied to. People who compare this film maker to Michael Moore probably didn't watch any of either director's films.

Reviewer: barbosity - - December 13, 2006
Subject: Best Film Ever
Every American should watch this film. It is important enough that I suggest every college professor (teaching almost any subject other than math) should be watching this film and having a debate about it afterwards as a part of their course. In fact, I am a tad bit angry at some of my old professors for not exposing me to this. I had to stumble across this film by chance while doing other online research. The worst thing about it is the fact that most Americans DO NOT EVEN KNOW THIS FILM EXISTS! I found it by chance and I consider myself to be pretty much a Internet addict, college student and blogger who is pretty savvy and always online. Most people do not have time to search the Internet for this movie. I suggest that (unless it would cause undue legal trouble) we should have screenings here in the US, at least. Actually, I wish that someone would find a way to get this into theaters or video stores or at least on cable. We absolutely must have this in America. It explains a lot and would help many of us immensly (as it did me). I mean it is pretty historically significant, even if not totally balanced (I mean what is). The point is that the core facts are all sound and overall this hard hitting piece hits the nail on the head IMHO.

Reviewer: Count Hiroshi - - December 13, 2006
Subject: DVD ins and outs
for the minds and lives at stake, someone please enlighten me on the best software for making these mpegs into playable dvds? best dvd ripper? any reliable freewares?

in unrelated news, Ian Curtis has just condensed this series into a film recently shown at Cannes.

http://www.abc.net.au/atthemovies/txt/s1376032.htm

Reviewer: KingNot - - October 30, 2006
Subject: Liberal Hogwash Is Cool
This was just an amazing picture. Just like every other good bit of informative media, I had to come to the internet to find it. American media companies would be playing this type of stuff nonstop if they were truly liberally-biased. It's painful to watch but it's really eye opening as well.

Reviewer: Truth? - - October 28, 2006
Subject: Like it..but
The series is well done, however, not very neutral and leaves many material details out. For example, where is Eisenhower, Kennedy and the set-up for all this history before 1949: The Yalta Conference leaders dividing up the world before the series even starts? The first program says that liberals were "in control since(1967)the War" meaning WW11. Really? No objection to missiles in Cuba by Kennedy? Then the Neocons gain a foothold because of the riots in 1967 clips of Johnson? No mention of the race conflict of that decade that saw leaders assasinated (and not by neocons). No acknowledgement of the advancement of Advisors in southeast asia to Combatants by Truman, Kennedy, and Johnson to fight the "Domino effect" of Communism? Were all the Liberals duped for so long or were there real debates on all these issues? The most famous TV commercial was against Goldwater by Johnson in 1964 saying in effect that Goldwater would be more likely to drop the Bomb. Fear tactic? So many holes give me a sense that the authors are out to prove a theoretical point at the expense of all the facts. Perry Mason..are you kidding?. Other specific points are totally false. For example, the notion that Christian leaders told their congregations "not to vote" until they were energized by the Neocon connection (are they fair with clips only from TV evangelists?) The election of Jimmy Carter was energized in part by his admission of being a "born again Christian" and Billy Graham was an advisor to liberal and conservative president alike. The second show makes a big deal out of conservative people voting for Clinton without mentioning the real kicker: Perot! Or the Fed rate increases.
Of course, the CIA is "Bad or Good" depending on who has an axe to grind to protect themselves. The villianization of Wolfowitz and glorification of Kissinger are amusing. Overall, the historical scare tactics purported are different from the past in only one big area: The availability of more 24 hour media coverage without any restraint. Both sides of this political debate are guilty of twisting. History remains in the eye of any idealog.
Thanks for a chance to report my view.

Reviewer: GirdwoodTelevision - - October 7, 2006
Subject: Alex is an idiot.
"Best" is misused in the previous revue.
Don't be an idiot.
Clearly the huge MPEGs are "BEST".
However if you prefer a smaller file size download the file that serves you "best".
Let me ad for clarification's sake:
Quick Time is under few circumstances "best".
It's a compromise for those that can't make the "best" choice for them selves.
Thanks for the help though...

Reviewer: Alexander D - - August 27, 2006
Subject: download the MPEG 4 on the left
use the mpeg 4 format, that is apple quicktime.
Best sound and video, no extra codecs and software required.

the 256kb is the best.

Reviewer: DigitalTribes - - July 29, 2006
Subject: A Must See.
"The Power of Nightmares" is not a perfectly constructed documentary, but it main point is flawlessly made over and over. We have been tricked and manipulated into passivity. Who knows how deep this lie goes. This is a must see for all political and religions persuasions, and well worth the long download.

Reviewer: PMoore - - July 27, 2006
Subject: Chapter 1 download trouble
I downloaded the MPEG2 file for Part 1, but it's only a 10 minute segment of the first show. Does anyone know how to download the complete first show in MPEG2?

Reviewer: Midex - - July 11, 2006
Subject: The Art of Deception
We can confidently assume those who perpetrate lies to the mainstream shall actively sustain layered diversions and pursue with slander others who try to expose the truth.

Layering is achieved by presenting 90% truth with 10% further lies. This was the effect of Mike Moore's F911. This is the effect of TPON.

The official accounts of the attacks of 911 are absolutely fabricated. For those willing to discover the truth for themselves, search "911" at video.google

http://www.serendipity.li/jsmill/post_1.html

"... in the big lie there is always a certain force of credibility; because the broad masses of a nation are always more easily corrupted in the deeper strata of their emotional nature than consciously or voluntarily; and thus in the primitive simplicity of their minds they more readily fall victims to the big lie than the small lie..." (Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf, p.134)

Reviewer: sys64738 - - July 5, 2006
Subject: Great subject
Great subject but a little on the boring side.

Reviewer: Sudz - - June 25, 2006
Subject: For those that rubbish this.
If we only take one thing away from this then Rumsfeld's continuous misleading statements across the years should give serious cause for concern. Time after time he has manipulated the truth; for what reason? Once we see this then we can start to unravel the rest of the BS we're sold by our leaders.

Liberal, Conservative or whatever matters not. Our politicians have to do the right thing and here they are failing miserably. Yes we live with terrorists amongst us but is it a high risk problem? Simply - no! More people die of road accidents and mis-diagnosed diseases or wrong treatments. We need to step back and look at what causes hatred and creates terrorists and fix it. Most people won't take up arms to air their grievances it's just the few and that's where a highly targeted operation needs to be put in place. Rhetoric and attacking countries won't solve the underlying issues.

Reviewer: jdblackwell - - June 14, 2006
Subject: Google has a link to the stream
To those agonizing over delivery--stream it on Google Video or use a file server like Limewire to get an MPEG file that will play on anything. Archive has the only Century of the Self, though. A must see but its in low res .mov file.

Reviewer: matlas - - May 29, 2006
Subject: How to play video easily
Guys, use VLC Media Player to watch this movie. It works great (for the mpeg2 version definitely).

http://www.videolan.org/vlc/

Reviewer: victoria2dc - - May 29, 2006
Subject: A couple more questions...
SIGH... oh @#$@!!!

I downloaded the file. I go to install and it tells me I need the NEWEST DirectX file, which is DirectX Version v9.0C. I go to MS to download and it wants to validate my software, which it can't do because I use Windows 2000 Professional operating system.

I call MS and they want to charge me $245 for their help!!!

Oh @#$$# Meanwhile, I'm thinking it might work with the WRONG DirectX version. I start to install it and it tells me to UNINSTALL other codec versions to avoid problems!

Ah @#$@ - I know how to uninstall/install software, but I don't know which programs with codec information that I should uninstall because I don't know what codecs are, and I don't know the names of the programs.

PG... sorry to bother you on a holiday!

If you get this message, would you please write to me at victoria2dc@gmail.com? If you can help me through this, I'll LOVE ya forever! I REALLY want to see this neocon stuff!!!

Cheers!
Victoria

Reviewer: PGLove - - May 29, 2006
Subject: VICTORIA
Hi Victoria,

When you say plug-ins I assume you mean you're having trouble with either sound or picture. The k-lite codec pack will sort it out, and you should never have a problem again.

type "k-lite codec pack" into google, the 1st 2 links will be for free-codecs website, the 1st link fails, the second works.

K-Lite Mega Codec Pack 1.53 is in orange, just below click 'download' and then you will see 6 download links, the 1st works fine.

It's 34MB but well worth it. However when you install it will ask if you want to remove old codecs and change associations. Be careful what you let it do, if you use iTunes for example. I would advise against allowing it to change associations unless you know how to change them back yourself.

Let me know how you get on, or if this is not what you meant :)

Good luck

Reviewer: Christian T - - May 13, 2006
Subject: Neoconservatism = integrism
An awesome documentary, and another gem produced by one of the last few respectable news networks in the world, showing in a pale light the ideological roots of what could be understood as the political extremism that destroys today's Western civilisation. The greatest thing about it is how it shows the American neo-conservatives and the muslim integrists as being not only political twins, but being from the same mother.

Of course, this is a reductive perspective, and my biggest complaint with this documentary being it's avoidance of the whole issue of corporate control over the US and the rise of military-industrial complex over the US foreign and civil policy. But still it serves wonderfully as an understanding of what, aside from financial interests, drives the US neocons so-hardly in their constant push to create "global villains" and justify State terrorism both domestically and internationally by, well, the false threat of terrorism.

Reviewer: pop.vulture - - May 1, 2006
Subject: Still relevant
This is the first time I have watched these documentaries since last year's London bombings, and they still pack a punch now, nearly two years after they were first screened.

The thesis of the documentaries is that after September 11th, although terrorism is still a threat, it is not the 'international network of sleeper cells' we have been lead to believe. al Qaeda is presented here as a 'brand' rather than an organisation per se. It might be said that terror groups adopting al Qaeda tactics independently, as in London, pose an even greater danger, but this is not an argument Curtis is making.

It is about the philosophies driving the two major forces in the war of terror-- the Neoconservatives and their enemies, the Radical Islamists. This is a good thing to watch if your understanding of either movement is lacking (or you were unaware, as I was, that they had specific guiding philosophies).

The user Pavws, who asked (rhetorically) in their review whether the US carried out the September 11th attacks themselves, seems to have missed the point. The Power of Nightmares looks at why (not necessarily how) powerful myths have been created about terrorism, and how the public's imagination can be used to restore confidence in a government.

Even if you don't agree with Curtis' conclusions, as a few viewers here haven't, we would all benefit by arguing about the war on terror with the same informed level of discourse these documentaries enable.

Reviewer: Pavws - - April 18, 2006
Subject: We won't be fooled again?
I am a conservative thinker and I found this to be a real eye-opener. Did we not all swallow the out right lie exposed herein of the "network" that "Al Queda" is supposed to be? It helps very much that the PLO, Hamas and other such muslem organizations exist. But what has been perpetrated is a lie that is as monstrous as anything the Nazis could ever dream up and for the same reasons. Evidently we have all forgotten our history because it is repeating itself only one generation out. That fear is a very viable source of political power. Can you say George Orwell "1984". Have you even read or seen it? To wake up you don't have to dial 9/11.

How is it we are so quick to believe these "myths"? Are we so conditioned by the media (which as any good propagandist, knows to exploit and/or control) and our own fearful evil hearts to believe the worst and fall into the hands of megalomaniacs? Does the press have no other agenda but to give us shock entertainment? They are as much if not more so to blame as the politicians, as they are supposed to be the people's "vanguard" against such horrendous distortions of truth. How long has it been and only now does the press start to peel off the scabs and find a little scratch that was reacted to like a 33rd degree burn from nuclear fall out. Not to say that 9/11 was a small matter, but the need to create such an absurd imaginary force behind it. American foreign policy is as much to thank for such a retaliation.

The chicken or the egg question of the day is of course: Had the U.S. known of such an attack, would they have stopped it? Or how about this mind bender: did they do it to themselves using this created "organized enemy" as a cover? It did give them carte blanc to ramrod and run rough shod over any country they claimed as "a terrorist training grounds" since then didn't it? And judging by the insanity of it all do you think that is so far fetched?

As of late the press has had to take a new tack as the public's opinion grows tired and even starts to figure out for themselves at least some if not all of what it was about.

I found the seeds for this nightmare scenario that we live in now to be very compelling. To a large extent I agree with both factions for the loss of vision and purpose. The hedonism and self -centeredness caused by liberal idealogy did run out of gas, it was a literal dream from a pipe. There is no infectionless "free love" in floating cars. God was replaced by Science and that has brought us to the brink, not utopia for the sake of comfort, pleasure and convenience; slurpys in new and improved convertable mini-vans with Blue Tooth technology so we can shut the ADD kids up with a DVD as we Blackberry in peace while we drive wired on Prozac.

Of course I don't agree with the manner and actions taken by either faction. But it does show that we are all the same in that regard when it comes to power.

The really crazy part is how the aggresive Amer-r-rican parnoia gave rise and power to what should have been a few crazed zealots of Islam that could not even get support from their own people. Now they may have truly stirred more shit than their fan will handle. But that was the point I guess. The one created the other and both seem right in their pro-active actions. The Yanks with their "really nice guy with a big stick" image to uphold needed something to clobber (again) to remind the rest of the world what really good people they are and that they really mean it. And the Islamists get proof of what evil they and the west can do.

Of course there are some really stupid points made that are more opinon based on bias and outright stupidity - like Christians not voting until the strausians said they should, but for the most part you get an idea of the madness which certainly infects these elite power hungry types and the lengths human beings will go, and ways they wield power.

A very thought provoking series. And yes anyone giving this a one star rating definitely has his head firmly planted like chewin' tabbaccy between the cheeks with no gums.

On topic of films like this, look for a DVD called "Uncle Saddam" He wasn't exactly too cool either. But I'll tell you a secret..he had every right to take BACK Kuwait. Do a little research yourselves. Learn how to think for yourselves and brush up on U.N. treaty's after WWII.

Reviewer: jgruber - - April 7, 2006
Subject: A fascinating and detailed study of neoconservatism and the Straussian
The vast majority of the one-star reviews are written by people who didn't even bother to watch this series. Unfortunately this documentary has been a target of pro-war hawks, and people have been told to give it the Michael Moore treatment. This series is not sensational at all, unlike Moore's, and has nothing in common with conspiracy docs like Loose Change.

What this documentary does not do, contrary to what some of the red-faced reviewers have said:

It does not imply that there is a neocon conspiracy that is "equal to the islamofascists," as one reviewer said. I don't know how that could possibly be deduced from any of the chapters.

What it does do:

1) Introduces philosopher Leo Strauss as a political thinker with influence rivaling that of Karl Marx (Wolfowitz et al were actually his students), since many of his fans are now in high positions in the White House and the Pentagon, and Bush himself has adapted his principles.

2) Establishes that there is a political atmosphere of nightmare manufacture, and that while there is a terrorist threat, it is not a united front against democracy worthy of the New World Order than has been created with the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. The main reasons were that the Muslim Brotherhood, and similar violent movements, were falling apart of their own accord leading up to the invasion of Iraq. A parallel is made to the policies regarding the Soviet Union, which the documentary states fell apart by itself, and not because the neoconservatives had supported the Taliban in their fight against the Soviets.

3) Exposes many of the hypocrisies and injustices that have occurred because of the Straussian myth that we are currently living under. For instance, the random rounding up of Arabic-looking people in Afghanistan. They were sold to us like cattle.


Many people simply cannot believe that things are going so badly in the two wars we've created. They wish to only see a tiny trickle of news through whacko publications like the Free Republic. That's their choice and nothing can be done about it.

Reviewer: qwan - - March 25, 2006
Subject: Why are you afraid of reality, because big brother is watching???...shame on you
Why are people refuting this documentary so much.
Listen guys who are giving this a bad review. If no accepting reality is going to help you sleep at night then dont watch documentaries like this.
See i dont believe in what fox news says so i dont watch it. I dont go on their site watch their program and then bitch about it.
I think that all those who are giving it a bad review are maybe people of those very conspiracies who are doing their job of blemishing the truth.
These links someone posted about why TPON is lies is just a well written article there is no evidence in those articles that suggest TPON is false. I dont even think they have watched the documentary. They are just a propaganda machine.
And if you really believe that people like adam curtis are the left or the right or politically driven you are wrong.
There is no left of right they are the same.
If tommorrow the majority of the world population or just the american populations start believing in communism(hypothetically speaking) then i am sure a communist government will come to power with the same people controlling.
I hear some people who cry foul at everything that suggest the truth.
I have seen people cry out foul at Alex jones www.infowars.com. Even i personally feel that he is a very frustated individual and borderline crazy.
But one thing about him. All he does is gives you documented news and things that you missed in your busy life.
Because all news makes it to the mainstream media. There are fanatic journalists out there who search for the truth and put it out there. He just shows screen captures of websites and recorded audio and still people say he is a liar. I saw a video of foriegn and american soldiers conducting battle drills in the middle of the a residentical area at night.
The mainstream hollywood movies are propaganda.
I still remember each and every movie of the 80-98 which was about the future would show america or the world in martial law. They actually made us believe and expect as an eternal truth of the future was martial law. I remember one movie which showed the year as 2010. I think if not for these people and these documentaries were would very well be a martial world with the entire population implanted with microchips.
I think these documentaries and people are makeing the NEW world order of whatever you may call it to change their plans. Thank them atleast we are free for now, maybe our children wont be..

Reviewer: owen1218 - - March 25, 2006
Subject: Puts things together nicely
Does an excellent job working together the motives of the neoconservatives and the rise of Islamic fundamentalism, in an accurate if nonetheless slanted way. Even if you don't learn a terrible lot, it's rather beneficial to see things put together in a coherent fashion. My appreciation to Adam Curtis for allowing this be placed for free download.

Reviewer: Calvinistic Scot - - March 19, 2006
Subject: A Great Documentary - Unmissable
This is the type of broadcasting the BBC does really well. Any simple viewer, who lacked thought and the ability to listen, would think this was slagging off America, or even the liberal discourse. Not at all, this is a commentary on the new power elites. I am not sure this goes the whole way to explaining our societal flux, but it certainly gets you a long distance. Liberal conversations like Syrianna and Constantant Gardener also help this process.

This series is unmissable.

Reviewer: en_gm_t_c - - March 19, 2006
Subject: A Lib'ral Wussie Speaks...
First of all, I think it's soo funny (I really do laugh) when anyone parallels liberals with nazis. The only parallel that my enlightened mind can think of, coming from a fellator of Rush Limbaugh and his ilk of course, is: lib'ral is evil, Nazis is evil. I get it, I get it. I'm not gonna tire my fingers making such an inane point, so I'll say this alone: the National Socialist German Worker Party was a right-wing organization. There are more than a few parallels between it and other right-wing groups. Why isn't this clear to you people? I can understand a well-reasoned argument for some conservative cause. I often agree with them, when they are well-reasoned. Hearing this lockstep chorus of anti-liberalism really makes me afraid for the future of this country. After having lived in Germany, I concluded that that country at least purged itself of any nationalist right wing sentiment (listen up, Rush fellators) after the war. If watching this still leaves you a sorry little grumbling chickenhawk, then I really have less than pity for your incurious little existence in wyoming or wherever you people dig your caves.

Reviewer: Gregg Reynolds - - March 14, 2006
Subject: The Power of Nightmares
Outstanding!

Provides great insight into U. S. foreign policy including the beliefs of many specific people involved in the process.

An excellent documentary. Revealing the truth can be very threatening.

Reviewer: journeyrob - - March 12, 2006
Subject: Excellent!!
This documentary should be required viewing for everyone. You may not agree with some of the conclusions, but there are a lot of facts here and it is a real education on what is going on in our world today. Even many conservatives that I know who have watched it agree with many points and admit they learned a lot. The rest of you hard core conservatives that imediately dismiss everything there, you remind me of the coyote. No matter how many times you fall off a cliff, or have an anvil land on your head, you still never seem to get it. (..)

Reviewer: newmaam - - March 12, 2006
Subject: The Power of Nightmares....
I have to agree with one review in that this movie runs along the same lines as F 9/11, however I do feel that it's a more in depth historically political explanation then one of media or conspiracy or a combination of both. This documentary examines the battle of idealology that, in my opinion, is the scariest war that has been. A war that stems from the results of selfish individualism. My previous blame was placed on psychotherapists who have insisted in looking out for the good of oneself rather then the good of mankind. Perhaps this was a result of the immediate gains of a liberal democracy by the 60s and 70's. Regardless, my experience has been that in Toronto, where I live, most that enjoy the freedoms and material posessions that are assocated with our capitalist democracy are those most apt to write an unfavorable review of a movie such as this. In my opinion, a movie is not needed to see the truth. In my experience, most can't handle the truth.
Awesome!

Reviewer: Bodwyn Wook - - March 11, 2006
Subject: A divided generation
THE Trouble with the increasing precedence in public discourse of images over words in this documentary is the same as that which afflicts the made-for-TeeVee 'terror war'. The whole media-enterprise, the manufacture of pictures, accompanied at best by a binary discourse, is of course motivated (as is all fundamentalism) by the terror of insignificance that troubles the much-divided 1946-64 generation. As to 'conspiracy', it is axiomatic that factions have interests and will try to serve these. However, as an historical matter it is important to note that in the long term stupidity virtually always trumps plots and scheming. In our much-divided society, this is the more so because most perhaps simply are not paying attention. Many are diverted by a host of surrogate interests, the Internet, 'pro' sports, kiddie porn, SUV's and shopping. Others, vaguely nervous of all this dionysianism and without much vocabulary, are convulsed by anti-gay & anti-abortion religious frenzies. The left dream of state-liberalist demi-elites ordering everyone around in therapy and on welfare, 'for their own good'. On the right, other state-liberalist (NB) elites fiddle with the Constitution and try to put on a convincing series of display-wars in Iraq and so on, mainly for the edification of China. What do YOU think possibly can be the result?
This much is so: if the generation now 'in power' (but hardly in charge!) does not come up with something better in the remaining 2-3 Presidential terms within its grasp, then the burden of history has ALREADY collapsed on the shoulders of our twenty-something children.

AS To islam, and muslims, one may hardly say anything:
I know something about Arabic and islamic history--most do not. And, make no mistake about it, no real understanding can be conveyed by western media to western people about these wholly other people. It is a conflict between people of the picture and people of the book. In the new age already upon us, we are witnessing the passing of the Old Atlantic West, above all with the loss of literacy and all of our once-refined narrative-forms. All that can safely be said is that now, with the end of the Renascence civilisation, the new cultural impulse of humankind will necessarily have to come from Asia--and, the conflict between Asians.

Reviewer: bb7 - - March 10, 2006
Subject: explained by incompetence
The main problem with this video is that it attributes to malice that which is adequately explained by incompetence. The idea that there is a neo-conservative conspiracy in America is silly. The explanation of neo-conservatism and their rise to power in America is too simplified.

What makes this video interesting are the parts covering the history of radical Islam, Afghanistan and Al Qaeda. It also has entertainment value and is edited well.

Reviewer: Dil_420 -