think or thwim

Last night I watched this 2004 documentary series on the left screen while I played Tower Defense on the right. That turned out to be appropriate. The story is told from a liberal point of view, and it’s about conservatives in the US playing on our fears by exaggerating the threat from the Soviet Union during the cold war and from Islamist extremists now. It argues that the Russians were never planning to take over the world and that worldwide networks of organized terrorists are a mythical idea created by the right wingers for purely political reasons.

I debated whether to post it or not because it’s a little tin-foil-hatty. I generally don’t buy into conspiracy theories because there is way too much disorganization and infighting within government to pull one off. However, in this case it’s accomplished by basic delusional thinking and a fear based worldview. That seems to be the truth.

If everything is factual, this is one of the best documentaries I’ve ever seen. It does a great job explaining how the events of the last 40 years got us into the current mess.

The Power of Nightmares

:: Why That’s Delightful