Watched part one of The Power of Nightmares this evening thanks to the marvels of BitTorrent. It managed to impress on two levels. Firstly it taught me something new about the origins of al-Qaeda and the Neo-Conservatives while tying together various facts and ideas about these dangerous groups into a coherent analysis. Secondly it was incredibly well produced, feeling more like a piece of classic factual television than something coming out of the modern BBC. The narrator was calm, clear and educated, there were no unnecessary flashy graphics and above all it wasn’t dumbed down. The only point I felt uneasy was when Henry Kissinger was made out to be the good guy, but then if Hunter Thompson can paint Nixon as a liberal compared to Bush then maybe it’s not so far fetched. If you can see it, do so.
I’ve found myself somewhat obsessed with the US election, which is no surprise as I tend to be something of an election junky, but this time it all feels somewhat critical, so much so that writing about it seems pointless. Everyone with a brain knows this is make or break . Even if they can’t articulate exactly why there a palpable sense that if Bush gets back in we’re all, in some way, fucked. In darker moments I reckon even if Kerry wins we’re still equally fucked as the neo-cons will stop at nothing to undermine him. The only ray of hope is that should Bush loose the Republicans, who are on the whole decent people, will excise this cancer in their midst and get back to actual politics. I have, however, my sincere doubts this will happen while Fox News and the fundamentalist Christian right continue to be in ascendence.
One final blurt of obviousness into the ether: despite being a Guardian reading anti-consumerist lefty Brit I do feel an affinity with the US. Most of my culture comes from there, be it comics, books, movies, the net. A fair chunk of the people I admire are American. As I’ve said before, a good percentage of my immediate family have roots there. I get pissed off when people unthinkingly criticise the US or say all Americans are stupid. Yes, there are a large number of really stupid Yanks but then there are a large number of really stupid Brits too. The problem is there are proportionally more of them than there are of us so the stupidity seems more endemic. It’s said that the world is scared of America hence the kid gloves and animosity prevalent through Europe and the Arab world, and this may well be true. Personally, though, I’m scared for America, like a good friend who’s having serious mental problems bordering on the clinically psychotic. This friend has done great things but right now he’s in danger of hurting himself and everyone around him unless he gets some help. And yet I’m powerless to do anything about it other than sit here and watch, hoping against hope that it’ll get better before it gets worse.
Good stuff. Having lived in Texas for many years (but not any more thanks to the Bush administration and other factors) I understand your observation about America being at the divide.
It is strange that two parties that are so very alike can create such a dichotomy of opinion and feeling among voters. Most people who have opinions are either for one and not the other or the other way round. Yet Bush and Kerry are really not that different and have their strings pulled by the same institutions (i.e. the funding).
In America the voter has very little say. My own vote (I can only vote for the President as I no longer live in the US) is registered in Texas (my last residence) so if I vote for Kerry and Bush carries Texas, then the Texas electoral college ignores my vote. As is being pointed out regularly, only a few key states will have any say in who goes to the White House.
The real power is the money. God knows how many millions go into the election every four years. The real irony is that many corporations give almost equal amounts to both major candidates in order to keep their options open. And then there is major coercion by employers to see that employees vote “their way”. Political Action Committees have less power than they used to but they still provide a lot of candidate funding.
I hear u buddy, tho I lack the defeatism of your prediction:) I’m sitting here working (or at least supposed to be working) and this is playing on my mind like the elections we had back when Thatch was ruling Britain with her iron fist.
Maybe if we all use our mind powers we can make a shift for the better…
Looks like I’m going to be up all night even though nothing is going to be clear until way into tomorrow…
Now I have seen Parts 1, 2 and 3 of Power of Nightmares I feel largely convinced by their conclusions. I always “knew” that the neo-conservatives are dangerous, this only confirms it. Interesting that both Bush and Kerry (at the end of Part 3) seem to be standing on the same “war on terror platform” which means that Kerry has subscribed to the same neo-conservative doctrine as Bush.
”is friend has done great things but right now he’s in danger of hurting himself and everyone around him unless he gets some help.”
I just like to say that your blog is written as though America has not yet hurt anyone. Please be aware that America is hurting people left right and centre.
Hundreds and thousands have died in the last decade or so, because of American & British actions; From the Silent Genocide (Sanctions) to the over usage of DU bombs in the “Shock & awe” and other such bombing campaigns.
People are suffering. Here in the UK we are not as aware of it as much as we should. Maybe you should get to know an Iraqi or someone who knows an Iraqi then you will hear.
A can of worms you are opening, but what the hell. Yes, I know America has hurt people. You don’t mention the Iran Contra affair and the incursions into Nicaragua, the Vietnam war and overspill into Cambodia and countless CIA sponsored coups and influenced elections since the 1950s. American imperialism did not start with Iraq pt 1 and certainly didn’t start with 9/11.
And it would be regress of me, as a Brit, to forget about the hurt caused by the British Empire which, along with other European empires, is probably responsible for most of the pain and misery in the world today.
BUT, and this is my point, a HELL of a lot of decent stuff has come out of the USA. It is a great country in many respects and that’s why it hurts me (in a non-physical kinda way) to see what’s going on over there. If you don’t understand that a country, which is a collection of millions of individuals after all, can be both a force for good and a force for evil, then you are missing far to many points to count.
But thanks for writing.
The Power of Nightmares is coming to Canadian TV on April 24.
see here for more details.
http://www.cbc.ca/passionateeye/powerofnightmares/