Phantom Enemy

In Part 2 of The Power of Nightmares the discussion continues around the battle between Neo-Conservatives and extreme Islamists. The documentary picks up around 1980 with Reagan in office and the Cold War still in full swing. What I found interesting was that during this time we were allies with Afghan freedom fighters and financially supported the Mujahideen. The CIA even trained them in assassination, guerilla attacks, and car bombs. Since the Soviets were their common enemy everything could be peaceful because each team had their bad guy and the bad guy was going down. The funny part was the United States and freedom fighters didn’t defeat the Soviets because the Soviets defeated themselves. One man interviewed said that the Soviet Union rotted away from within, yet Neo-Conservatives and extreme Islamists took this myth and thrived on it, which led them to much more radical endeavors. The myth that both groups were superior and undefeatable only left them with one more thing to do: find an enemy to make inferior, which happens to be one another.

Once these former financial allies turn on one another both groups begin to face internal destruction as well. Extreme Islamists are being heavily resisted because their willingness to kill innocents at no end and even turning on one another. Neo-Conservatives start to lose support and have to force preachers to advertise for them. These two groups definitely perpetuate our culture of fear and fuel the Mean World Syndrome, but I don’t think they are winning in the way they want to be. In my opinion some of these ultra conservatives just sound so overboard and not every Muslim is turning into a terrorist like ignorant people would like to believe. I hope this final part will answer for me who is winning for pushing these extreme sociopolitical agendas? It seems like the leaders and members of both these groups have fallen victim to their own game. In the interviews with the Neo-Conservative party members I honestly felt uncomfortable because they acted as superior as Bin Laden in their tone of voice and their deceptive rhetoric. They actually believe the very illusions they drew up; it almost felt like I was watching Inception. I’m hoping this last part doesn’t leave me on a cliffhanger like Leo did, but I’ll give my final recommendation after I complete the series.