The Power of Nightmares: The Rise of the Politics of Fear (2004)

Writer & Producer: Adam Curtis

The three part documentary film compares the rise of Neo-Conservatism in US and Radical Islam in different parts of the Muslim world and paints a picture wherein which they are essentially the same. Both are formed with a view to protect their so called culture from what they see as degrading liberalism by harping on about the role of religion in Society as a source for greater good.

In US, it traces the actions of Paul Wolfowitz, Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld in the '70s and '80s when they had USSR as the phantom enemy of US in a world where it is a battle of good US versus the bad people that  are against it. The philosophy that the Neo-Cons believe in is that you need a state of fear among the people to unite them and politicians can exert their power.  First they invented the declining USSR as the phantom enemy in the '80s and then later the so called Global Terrorism Network. 

The Radical Islamists on the other hand first tried  to get into power using the democratic process so that they could then abolish it. Seeing this threat, the Generals repressed them which led them into declare war on the regimes. When their war didn't get support from people, they declared war on the people who supported democratic process and considered them as fair game for their cause.

The documentary has many funny elements especially with the usage of some film videos and soundtrack. The main players in the archival footage gives all the exposition for Curtis and it unfolds like a tragic comedy. The high point being the fact that Al Qaeda was a term invented by US administration itself in their effort to try Bin Laden in his absence before 9/11 for the Nigerian Embassy bombings. Another one was the new Neo-Con chief of CIA wanting CIA to provide evidence in the '80s for the Soviet Support for various terrorist groups in the World which was based on his readings from a book. When CIA checked the book, it is based purely on the propaganda that CIA itself invented earlier.

I will end with a quote form the documentary itself: 'In a world in which people don't believe in anything, then people who believe in something is their biggest nightmare'.

Rating: 5/5