Film Screening - The Power of Nightmares, Part 2: "The Phantom Victory"

"The Power of Nightmares: The Rise of the Politics of Fear", is a BBC documentary film series in three parts, written and produced by Adam Curtis. The films compare the rise of the Neo-Conservative movement in the United States with 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 organized 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.

In Part 2, "The Phantom Victory", Islamist factions join the Neo-Conservative-influenced Reagan Administration to combat the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan. When the Soviets eventually pull out and when the Eastern Bloc begins to collapse in the late 1980s, both groups believe they are the primary architects of the "Evil Empire's" defeat. Curtis argues that the Soviets were on their last legs anyway, and were doomed to collapse without intervention.

However, the Islamists and Neo-Conservatives see it quite differently...

Bring some friends, come watch Part 2 and stay for the discussion following the film. Hope to see you there!