The Power of Nightmares

By Zach Willis

The short:

In this three-part BBC documentary series Director, Adam Curtis illuminates the ties between the rise of American Neoconservatives and Islamist extremists and explains how this interplay ultimately culminated in the deeply flawed American invasion of Iraq.

The long:

While Curtis is quite liberal in making connections between historical events, the docu-series puts forward a riveting and often persuasive theory of how warped incentive structures, political systems, and ideologies led to unbridled fear of Islam and ultimately the US occupation in Iraq. Further, it claims that this fear was more or less perpetuated by Western leaders on the very little basis to enhance their own power and inspire their nations through fear.

To watch or not to watch?

The series is not an easy watch. It challenges the viewer with an unorthodox approach to history and often dares you to conceive of humanity in the worst of terms. That said, for those looking to understand the ideological roots of today’s violent Islamists and the American Neoconservative movement, this series is indispensable.