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The Power of Nightmares: The Rise of the Politics of Fear

The Power of Nightmares: The Rise of the Politics of Fear is a BBC documentary series narrated by Adam Curtis, exploring the origins of Islamic Fundamentalism in the Middle East and Neo-conservatism in America, similarities between the two, and their effect on the world today. The series consists of three one-hour episodes, which compare the rise of the Neo-Conservative movement in the United States and the radical Islamist movement, making comparisons on their origins and claiming 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 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. (from wikipedia.org)

Episode 1 - Baby It's Cold Outside


Episode 1 - Baby It's Cold Outside
This episode explores the origins of Islamic Fundamentalism in the Middle East and Neo-conservatism in America, in the 1940s and 1950s.

Episode 2 - The Phantom Victory
This episode looks at how the radical Islamists and neo-conservatives came together to defeat the Soviet Union in Afghanistan.

Episode 3 - The Shadows in the Cave
Assessing whether the threat from a hidden and organised terrorist network is an illusion, this episode explains how the illusion was created and who benefits from it.


Related Links
The Power of Nightmares - wikipedia
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