The Power of Nightmares

The well researched, well produced, deeply unsettling BBC film series, "The Power of Nightmares" has now been released in a version that "streams" on the net. The premise of the series is that two fundamentalist extremist groups, the neocons and radical Islamists, now manipulate fear for political advantage. One can certainly take exception to some of the historical reconstructions and political interpretations. But the films are riveting and challenge us to think.

Part I:


Part II:


Part III:

I might add that I have not shown these to my teen aged boys. They have a sense that the world is becoming a dreary, desperate place and I have not wanted to amplify those feelings by showing this genuinely frightening documentary.