Letters to the Editor

Beyond the Multiplex The most important political documentary of the decade suggests that terrorism is a dark fantasy -- and there's no such thing as al-Qaida. By Andrew O'Hehir [2005-12-08]

• A New York State of Mind

  Mr. O'Hehir's article reflects some of the hubris that characterizes the American Left and Right. While I don't condemn him for mistakenly presuming no one outside New York has seen, or will see, The Power of Nightmares, I must say his sense of shock and awe over the revelations in the documentary reveal something of how insular segments of America can be, whatever their politics. Keep in mind that the story contained in the documentary was reported in the British press upon its release in Britain. This is how I heard about its argument, through an online British newspaper.

  The Power of Nightmares aired in Canada on CBC in April 2005 (http://www.cbc.ca/passionateeye/powerofnightmares/one.html). In September 2005 I was speaking with a very prominent and left-leaning American academic, explaining the findings of the documentary, and he had not heard of it. In fact, he still believed Al Qaeda was more than just a few lunatics transformed by the US government into a collaborative global network of ideologues bent on destroying America. I was surprised to see such an astute observer unaware of the fundamental lie of the "war on terror" -- that there is an enemy of coordinated size and strength, and not simply an idea of resistance being adopted by disparate parties -- and it made me feel like the center of the political spectrum in America was so far to the right that even the left couldn't see the horizon anymore.

  But this is, of course, just one documentary, and once some Americans get a chance to see it they will understand yet another quality of the terms by which they have been hoodwinked.

  Mr. O'Hehir's comments on the film are better late than never. He concludes, quite rightly, "As long as these two quasi-religious ideologies are locked in Manichaean combat, playing the endless game of devils and angels, their devotees will reap the benefits -- and the rest of us will remain prisoners to their nightmares."

  Along those lines, I recommend LSE professor John Gray's book "Heresies", which contains some of his essays on Iraq and his post-humanist critique of ideologies like neoconservatism and liberal humanism.

  -- gerontion72
  [Read gerontion72's other letters]
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