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From Reuters,"UK film at Cannes says terror fears exaggerated," with thanks to a tea-loving Brit.
CANNES, France - A British documentary arguing U.S. neo-conservatives have exaggerated the terror threat is set to rock the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday, the way "Fahrenheit 9/11" stirred emotions here a year ago."The Power of Nightmares" re-injected politics into the festival that seemed eager to steer clear of controversy this year after American Michael Moore won top honours in 2004 for his film deriding President George W. Bush's response to terror.
At a screening late on Friday ahead of its gala on Saturday, "The Power of Nightmares" by filmmaker and senior BBC producer Adam Curtis kept an audience of journalists and film buyers glued to their seats and taking notes for a full 2-1/2 hours.
The film, a non-competition entry, argues that the fear of terrorism has come to pervade politics in the United States and Britain even though much of that angst is based on carefully nurtured illusions.
It says Bush and U.S. neo-conservatives, as well as Prime Minister Tony Blair, are exaggerating the terror threat in a manner similar to the way earlier generations of leaders inflated the danger of communism and the Soviet Union.
I'm sure they'll be telling the starving North Koreans how communism is just peachy and their misery is all in their heads...
It also draws especially controversial symmetries between the history of the U.S. movement that led to the neo-cons and the roots of the ideas that led to radical Islamism -- two conservative movements that have shaped geopolitics since 1945.Curtis's film portrays neo-cons Paul Wolfowitz, Richard Perle and Donald Rumsfeld as counterparts to Osama bin Laden and his deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri in the two respective movements.
"During the Cold War conservatives exaggerated the threat of the Soviet Union," the narrator says. "In reality it was collapsing from within. Now they're doing the same with Islamic extremists because it fits the American vision of an epic battle."
ILLUSORY FEAR OF TERROR
In his film, Curtis argues that Bush and Blair have used what he says is the largely illusory fear of terror and hidden webs of organised evil following the September 11, 2001, attacks to reinforce their authority and rally their nations.
He says al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden has a far less powerful organisation than feared. But he is careful to avoid suggestions that terror attacks won't happen again. Included are experts who dismiss fears of a "dirty bomb" as exaggerated.
"It was an attempt at historical explanation for September 11," Curtis said, describing his film in the Guardian newspaper recently. "Up to this point, nobody had done a proper history of the ideas and groups that have created our modern world."
"Moore is a political agitprop filmmaker," he said. "I am not. You'd be hard pushed to tell my politics from watching it."
Ya think?
Posted by Rebecca at May 14, 2005 10:18 AM
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There are lies and then there are "damn lies," reminding me of researchers, ignoring all previous research other possibilities, "manipulate and interpret" to get a preconceived or the result that is wanted. The "found" what exactly what they were looking for based on preconceived decisions to fit a political agenda. This film is a "truthful" as Michael Moore's.
Posted by: epg![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/nav-commenters.gif)
at May 14, 2005 10:47 AM
Shhh... Be vewy vewy Quiet. Their hunting Dhimmis.
at May 14, 2005 11:27 AM
I don't need to listen to Mr. Curtis who apparently wears Rose colored glasses from what I can clearly see with my own eyes.
Posted by: Mackie at May 14, 2005 11:29 AM
John Quincy Adams, 6th US President (1825-9) said:
“…he [Muhammad] declared undistinguishing and exterminating war, as a part of his religion, against all the rest of mankind…The precept of the Koran is, perpetual war against all who deny, that Mahomet is the prophet of God.”
Come on, BBC, let's have a documentary about JQA being a neo-con creating an imaginary foe.
Read the comments that the BBC has selected for its message board.
Here they are
They sound like a load of six year olds who've just been read 'Winnie the Pooh'
at May 14, 2005 11:51 AM
Thy´re happy to be dhirmis.
Posted by: Franze at May 14, 2005 11:54 AM
Elephant, would you be so kind as to give me the link to the John Adams quote. Thanks,
Kafira
at May 14, 2005 12:56 PM
Re: "In his film, Curtis argues that Bush and Blair have used what he says is the largely illusory fear of terror and hidden webs of organised evil following the September 11, 2001, attacks to reinforce their authority and rally their nations."
Read that statement carefully again - " largely illusory fear of terror and hidden webs of organised evil following the September 11, 2001, attacks.."
The worst terror attack in history with larger loss of life than Pearl Harbour and all they have to say is the Bush administration is using it to reinforce their neo-con power.
Perhaps we should remind the British (some good it will do) that they still get indignent at Coventry's destruction by the Luftwaffe - here is the damage Coventry suffered:
"Twelve armaments factories and much of the city centre, including the 14th-century cathedral, were destroyed, and 380 people were killed and 865 injured."
It rather pales in comparison doesn't it?
http://www.valourandhorror.com/BC/Raids/Coventry.htm
Posted by: johnb at May 14, 2005 1:13 PM
Indeed, the famous Shafi’i jurist of Baghdad, al-Mawardi (d. 1058), highlights the most salient aspect of the consensus view of classical Islamic jurisprudence regarding the vanquished non-Muslims “tribute”, i.e., the jizya: the critical connection between jihad and payment of the jizya. He notes that “The enemy makes a payment in return for peace and reconciliation.” Al-Mawardi then distinguishes two cases: (I) Payment is made immediately and is treated like booty, however “it does, however, not prevent a jihad being carried out against them in the future.”. (II). Payment is made yearly and will “constitute an ongoing tribute by which their security is established.” Reconciliation and security last as long as the payment is made. If the payment ceases, then the jihad resumes.
The muslimic jihad mob. "Ahchmed says you pay, so you pay. You don't pay, you die". LOL
Religion of peace, my ass!
Spanks for the link, Elephant.
Posted by: SexyKafira1 at May 14, 2005 1:55 PM
We do take the Bleedin' Biased Corporation aka the DBC with a pinch of salt here. Melanie Philips sums it up nicely http://www.melaniephillips.com/diary/archives/000857.html
I didn't see it on TV so I really can't comment. Except that I don't remember everybody at work the next day very relieved that there really was nothing to worry about.
I cannot quote the figures off hand I believe that more British citizens were killed in the twin towers in the single incident than died in any one single incident of the 30 years of the troubles. We do look beyond the MSM.
Posted by: Granny Weatherwax at May 14, 2005 2:01 PM
So, what is the current uprising of islam about then? What about all the Friday sermons that declare jihad on the West? Are WE just imagining the threat of a mosque in every Western city? Were those planes really figments of our imagination? There are many who just want to go on with their humdrum lives and not have to think unpleasant thoughts, they will go along to get along.
Posted by: Carolyn2 at May 14, 2005 2:39 PM
Check out this rave review of the documentary by this Dutchman on the BBC message board.
-----------------------
Last week a famous Dutch film maker, Theo van Gogh, was killed near where I live. Apparently a 26 year old Islamist shot and stabbed him on religious grounds. Yesterday 8 friends of the accused have been arrested on the grounds of belonging to a "terrorist-cell", possibly with ties to al-Qaeda. After seeing your documentary I'm suddenly not so ready to believe that any more. How sad to see "western society", especially governments and media, creating this monster by themselves. Maybe we should pay less attention to "world-wide terrorist networks" and more to what's going on in the minds of young people from minority cultures in our countries. Make more of an effort towards integration and accept the IDEA of Al-Qaeda as the more manifest danger: It seems to give some people some kind of moral right to put their twisted ideas into action. Please show more of these well-researched documentaries!
-------------------------------
Theo Van Gogh is murdered as an an of Islamic terror, undeniable fact, then this Dutchman sees the BBC's 'Power of Nightmares' and then he thinks that Islamic terror doesn't exist.
I think that is what psychologists call denial, the truth is too unpleasant to believe not too hard to believe.
The fact that so many people are drooling over this film suggests that subconsciously they are terrified.
Posted by: Elephant at May 14, 2005 2:51 PM
The comparison between Coventry and 911 shows the degree of denial and revisionism that has invaded modern leftist thinking.
And that politics has firmly invaded the world of movie making.
Th movie world of Cannes and Holywood now deal in easily marketable icons and cliches to open the way to the big bucks that come from aiming for audiences with the minds of nine year olds.
Why take the bother to research history when you believe your market is for fast food cinema?
The outrage of 911 , if it had been commited 60 years ago, would have been etched in History and commorated annually as heve the outrages of the two world wars.
To deny Islamic terrorism is a grave insult to those victims who have died in their thousands at the hand of these barabarians,
at May 14, 2005 5:28 PM
I know the BBC are a load of America haters anyway, but it wouldn't surprise me if they were terrified of being attacked themselves if they didn't keep turning out the propaganda.
Posted by: Elephant at May 14, 2005 6:06 PM
Alarm! Listen up you all:
The History channel is currently running a reportage on Saudi Arabia. Among other Saudi fat- cats the reporter interviews Prince Turki:
Prince Turki calls 9/11 a 'TRAVESTY'-
NOW LET THE RIOTS BEGIN!!! The first time I thought I didn't hear right. The Dhimmi reporter didn't ask. Then it came again:
The 9/11 'TRAVESTY'- with a big grin on his face!
Nuke the bastards!!!!!! NUKE THE BASTARDS NOWWW!!!!
Posted by Terminator at May 15, 2005 12:24 AM
at May 15, 2005 12:39 AM
Too bad Theo Van Gogh could not attend the screening of this idiotic movie,for obvious reasons....but ofcourse Adam Curtis didn`t even hear of what happened to Theo.
Posted by: adela at May 15, 2005 1:11 AM
Yes, go over to JW and witness the "no terrorism" for yourself.
Posted by: Carolyn2 at May 15, 2005 6:28 AM
This is the moooovie that AI likes a lot...I am interested in the line "hidden webs of organised evil"...How does Curtis know about them if they are hidden? Not hidden very well , I guess. Bush and Blair are just not very good at hidesmanship...It's not a good idea to put evil webs right out front where everyone can see them. Whenever Bush/Blair do that, the web is no longer hidden...They need to send for my book "How to hide things so well, that you will forget where you hid them". Following my excellent directions, they will get much better at hiding those evil webs...
at May 15, 2005 3:52 PM
I saw this when it was aired and enjoyed it, even though, needless to say, I fundamentally disagreed with its premise. Certainly, Mr Curtis had to reach the conclusion he did otherwise the BBC would never have shown it.
There is a great sequence in it explaining the role of one of the Muslim Brotherhood's early leading lights, the Egyptian 'intellectual' Sayyid Qutb. Apparently the defining event that led to his revulsion with Western culture was the sight of young people dancing - yes, dancing - together in 1950s America. Horrified that such depraved practices might find their way to Egypt, he skedaddled back home and resurrected the previously moribund Muslim Brotherhood. The rest, as they say folks, is history.
Back in the Reagan years I remember the Left attacked the US for propping up (or intervening on the side of) dictatorships in Central and South America. Before Bush Jnr took office, they were worried about his supposed isolationist tendencies. Now the neo-cons are in the ascendancy and US intervenes in Afghanistan and Iraq to promote democracy - guess what, they get it in the neck too. If Islamophobia was merely invented to confer victim status (and therefore a supposedly justified sense of grievance) on Muslims, Americaphobia is real and, sadly, is far more entrenched in the liberal mainstream here than the former will ever be.
Posted by: Effractor at May 15, 2005 5:09 PM
"During the Cold War conservatives exaggerated the threat of the Soviet Union," the narrator says.
Tell that to the tens of millions of people who died of unnatural causes.
Posted by: Don Miguel at May 16, 2005 7:30 PM
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