Awakening From The Nightmare

Islamic fundamentalism and neo-conservatism might seem to be two different ideals on the surface, but deep in their rotting roots is the basis for the same vision. As a nation we can keep our eyes closed, or we can awake from this nightmare of tyrannical proportions.

In 'The Power of Nightmares: Baby It’s Cold Outside', part one of three, we see a rare glimpse into an intelligently and factually based liberal minded viewpoint of producer Adam Curtis for BBC. Thankfully for Curtis he doesn’t live in the US, because he too would probably be held for months under treason. Curtis doesn’t freely toss around conspiracy ideas in this hour without at least backing himself up with solid sources.

The idea itself is compelling enough for most viewers, but the care to editing and establishing a shocking soundtrack is overwhelmingly evident. Sections of the movie are clearly established as the movie jumps from America to Egypt and back again. Before you see certain “evil” faces there will be a jolting sound that vibrates through your ears. Well-placed music tones are key in this. The song Baby It’s Cold Outside is also playfully used in a humoristic manor. In a documentary like this, there is much to be said for adding a little humor to soften the information we are processing.

This documentary is not for everyone. If you don’t question authority, turn a blind eye to terrorism, or believe the government is still completely for the people, you shouldn’t watch this. If you also don’t care about any of these to begin with, don’t “waste” your time. If your rebel flag is at high mast you will thoroughly enjoy this, or even if you have some doubt in the back of your mind at our current powers telling us what is right and wrong.

Stemming back, much before our current president, we see the evolution of all these radical ideals in Mr. Kotf’s visit to the US to learn about the education system. Instead of focusing on education Kotf quickly becomes disgusted in the westernization of the country that is leading to the depleting values of morals. The key instance was at a dance in a church with young adults, that currently would be considered overly tame (since no females were thrusting their behind into the crouch of males), where the intimate dancing disgusted Kotf. He saw people living isolated, selfish and materialistic lives, which to some degree is true still today, so he sought out to change this. Our primitive motives, according to Kotf, were not something that should be tolerated.

While the formation of jihad and intolerant neo-conservatives is troubling, the movie allows us to see this from the bottom up. Muslims started to kill non-believing Muslims and neo-conservatives started trampling their idealism over liberal thinking. The somewhat hidden ideals of people, such as, Lyndon Johnson, Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfield are troubling. Who would have thought that the blazing bullets in a television series 'Gunsmoke' and the overly clever thinking of the 'Perry Masion' show would shape these men? This is clearly the early sign of Americans watching too much television much earlier than we thought. Maybe if a show like 'SpongeBob SquarePants' were on earlier we would live in a different country? Then again, the government might have assumed that we were all like the dumbfounded sidekick Patrick.

Whether you believe the assumptions made by Curtis is not the primary focus in the end for me. If at least people start to question their government and politicians, without voting on who can yell the loudest at the other candidate, we will be better off. The next presidential election is creeping slowly close as if a bomb about to explode, though, we have time to diffuse this bomb at least.