I just got to watch BBC’s three-part documentary/series “The Power of Nightmares.” I wouldn’t say it was an eye-opener, but I can say that it would be good for everyone to watch it – so long as you have an open mind.
I guess the good thing about this documentary is how it explains the danger from both sides. How a government can abuse and use fear to control society, and how even noble causes can mutate into idealism that’s no better than the system they wish to abolish.
I noticed that the best way to appreciate this series isn’t so much as to have an open mind, but simple common sense. It’s just a matter of cause and effect. For as long as you don’t have any personal bias, you will get a better perspective (assuming everything presented here is real) 1 After all, this is still media. I’m probably just jaded by the media in the Philippines – which isn’t true to it’s purpose.
To me, this is best way to view social and governmental systems. We are usually at the mercy of government decisions. Ultimately, we really have no way to scrutinize such decisions other than being skeptical about them and their claims. While terrorism and corruption are certainly present in the world – the question is how much really is there? Is there enough to justify relinquishing most of our rights – so that we can be “protected?” 2 Which is what the US seems to be capitalizing on
On the other side of the coin, should we have some dissonance with the government – we tend to abuse our freedom and start becoming too radical for a healthy society. I use our own country as an example – how easy it is for us to challenge the system… to the point that we challenge it constantly and end up not getting anything done as a whole.
Still, that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t challenge the system. It also doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t sacrifice sometimes for the greater good. We should always keep in mind that any form of government… any form of society has it’s advantages and disadvantages. The burning question is where the balance lies. This ultimately can only be answered by one thing: education.
I believe BBC was on the right path in “educating” people when they made this documentary.