The Century of the Self, Part 1-4, Must See Videos

[solve_et_coagula]

The Century of the Self, Part 1-4, Must See Videos of Adam Curtis

The best documentary ever!! A masterpiece from BBC4 that shows the reality of the american identity!!!

Part 1
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8953172273825999151&q=The+Century+of+The+Self

Part 2
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-678466363224520614&q=The+Century+of+The+Self

Part 3
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6111922724894802811&q=The+Century+of+The+Self

Part 4
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1122532358497501036&q=the+century+of+the+self+4&total=295&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0

Best wishes from Switzerland

Lwwb
Roger

[chris]

Yes, these are truly a must see!

[john white]

And these

Following on from Power of Nightmares and Century of the Self, the third of Adam Curtis's groundbreaking documentaries lifting the lid on the develpment of 20th century society

Part 1

http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=8372545413887273321&q=the+trap

Part 2

http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=-7849982478877371384&q=the+trap

Part 3 (three parts)

http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=3291992041130722257&q=the+trap

http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=-121006630030775636&q=the+trap

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1343199130780182696&hl=en

Not forgeting

Classic 3 part series exploring the myth of Al-Queda and the War on Terror. Its funny, but after the Doctor Kelly thing they dont seem to make 'em like this anymore...

Part 1

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=881321004838285177&q=power+of+nightmares

Part 2

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4602171665328041876&q=power+of+nightmares

Part 3

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4729189253956590972&q=power+of+nightmares

Oh and:

Malvern based philosopher John White invites you to join him for a whirlwind tour of "The Rabbit Hole" in this recent talk, delivered as ... all » part of Malvern Fringe Festival on 30/05/07. We learn that reality exists only inside our heads, that money is just a dream, and that taking control of our own perceptions is the route to meaningful global change, for the better, for ever

http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=7531242795885482799

Which owes a big debt to Curtis!

Next up:

I rip off Thom Hartmann! ;)

[chris]

Thanks John, much to ponder...

[cultofbyron]

I've just finished downloading the first of Adam Curtis' documentaries, The Century of the Self and (along with Power of Nightmares and The Trap, which I have seen on initial broadcast) I have some thoughts I'd like to share with you.

One issue which is never really addressed, but seems on the tip of the film-makers tongue is that of where peoples desires come from, what creates them. What I am referring to is the social conditioning that goes on before and after birth that makes individuals act the way they do and want the things they want. At the later steps in this story, governments and corporations bend over backwards to assert the primacy of the individual's desires, and in this there seems to be an implicit claim that people always KNOW what they want and that this is best. I may be easily misunderstood as elitist when I say that this ain't necessarily so, as I'm sure most people here will agree that mainstream society and its conventions are extremely restrictive in real, concrete terms (and I'm not talking about the illusion of choice in consumerism here), especially the further down the wage scale you go.

My other thought (and I have just searched for this in the forum toolbar) is what are (if there are any) strategies for resistance or change? Apart from vague notions of an anti-capitalist movement there seems to be no desire to effect REAL change in the concrete circumstances of peoples everyday lives. Again, it isn't right to force people to do anything that they do not want to do, but why is there not more public awareness of alternatives? Of a concerted effort to downscale the power networks that dictate how life should be lived? I have many ideas that I'd like to share regarding this, but first I'd like to see how many others are interested on a website full of people who also know there is something fundamentally wrong with the way the country, and perhaps the whole of western civilisation works.

I must say at this point that I am not anti-capitalist or anti-democratic, but feel that if these systems are to really work, they must be engaged with voluntarily and not through force or coercion, and that people must be educated as to the wider possibilities, so that if democracy is the best way, that is discovered through rational AND humanitarian debate (and practice). That was a loooong sentence, I apologise :D

CofB

[kweli]

I've watched most of Adam Curtis's work and found it really interesting and informative.

[hagbard_celine]

This is his best one yet!:)

It's a shame it doesn't go into Wilhelm Reich in more detail though. I suppose Curtis has to cover only the aspects of Reich's work relevent to the theme of the series. But there was no need to discuss the cloudbuster or "gun" as Curtis calls it and to mention Reich's UFO theories if he's then going to say: "He developed ideas to the point of madness", or words to that effect.