The Rise Of The Fear Of Politics

Ok, some politics now. These are some of the most enlightening docus I have seen the last few years. I will just post the links, and not embed them in here, mainly because then you can see them bigger.

The Power Of Nightmares: The Rise of the Politics of Fear.
This BBC docu is 3 hours long, in 3 parts. It covers the 'fear'-strategy admittedly used by many a government.

Part 1: Baby Its Cold Outside
Part 2: The Phantom Victory
Part 3: The Shadows In The Cave

The Century Of The Self
This BBC docu shows how new knowledge about psychology and group behavior became too useful for politicians and major companies not to use. Its again a long one, spanning 4 hours in 4 parts.
Part 1: Happiness Machines.
Part 2: The Engineering Of Consent.
Part 3: There Is A Policeman Inside Our Heads. He Must Be Destroyed.
Part 4: Eight People Sipping Wine In Kettering.

Both of these were by the same author: Adam Curtis.

Why We Fight
This is a docu made by an independent filmmaker. It's about the military industrial complex in America, and how it is of great influence on the making of foreign policy. It does focus on Iraq, even though this problem doesn't limit itself to that situation.
The film: Why We Fight

Noam Chomsky
I've posted about this guy before, and i find it hard to do him justice by just posting some videos. Basically his head is so full of knowledge about global politics, that you should just listen to everything he has to say. But that would take a lifetime (it sure took his). Here is a small sample:

The Chomsky-Marr interview. Pre-9/11 interview laying out his life and vision. 30 minutes.

Chomsky vs Foucault. An oldie, where Chomsky defends his views against philosopher Michael Foucault. Dutch subtitles. 13 minutes

Chomsky on Human Destiny. A short but wise monologue by the man himself. 3 mintues.

Chomsky BBC Interview 2002. 24 minutes.

Chomsky at Real Time. Bill Maher is the host of a comedy/politics show. 7 minutes.

Chomsky on Lebanese TV Pt. 1. 10 minutes
Chomsky on Lebanese TV Pt. 2. 7 minutes.

More will follow, but i'm guessing you're thinking: "Yeah, and I'm gonna watch all those too. If I wasn't already bored to death with these..."

7 words you can say on Google Video

George Carlin, used to be a "free-speech" comedian, focusing on reading the list "shit, piss, fuck, cunt, cocksucker, motherfucker, tits", where after hilarity ensued. Now he is a lot more generally critical, taking on anything from religion to politics, so that gets him a place on my exclusive blog. I hope he appreciates it.







PS
Did you see me swear? I'm such a tough guy.

For Your Consideration

Rats

These are the first of my ratsploitation pictures, starring Sorry as the black agile active female lead, and Oops as her sweet beige sidekickette.

Awful is literal

If you're thinking, why the hell am I showing these pictures... It's because I am trying to awe you. The shocks will come later when you check out this site. It's called Something Awful, but basically its anything awful, though not necessarily gruesome like Liveleak (think Rotten and Ogrish). SA has reviews, pornfaces, cartooncovers, and flashmovies.
And more so go visit it now.




Are you still here?

Thats awful.

Propaganda always survives

WWII anti-Japan propaganda which is pretty much universally applicable.

Everyone does it:

Superman

Kim Jong Il

The Christian Right

Land-fill Exploitation Companies

Scientologists

Germans

Brittish

Americans

ITN (Brittish News Network)

Iraqis

Skaters

Nukers

Russians

The Public Health Service

Even me...

Audiots

From the people who bought you sound, now come the people who bring you music. Its so malicious, its delicious.

Big sweaty men

And a lot more.

I think comparisons made between Rome and America (like today's references to Gibbon's The history of the decline and fall of the Roman empire) are prety much valid. Just throw in some lions, the christians are already present (though on the wrong side of the fence :-)).

On another note, i always wanted to watch american television, including the commercials and the news and everything, so here is part of my dream fulfilled (and i got to make literary references... Yeeeey).

Borat

My favorite Kazachstanian. Ever.





Some more clips from him.
And the recent movie part1 + part2
In the movie (which I was watching when I decided to make this post) a lot of music from Goran Bregovic is used, which I happen to enjoy. Kazachstan is in no way the origin of this music, though I guess to western ears, every country east of Berlin is culturally the same. (A fallacy which is at least satirised by Sacha Baron Cohen).

Yagshemash.

The Good Ol' Book

They've said it before and I'll say it again. The bible is a fascinating read. Just read Job. Or watch the animated version:

Give me freedom, give me choice

I dislike the freedom of choice, and if i would have the choice, i would get rid of it.
This guy agrees.

On this TED there are a lot of other speakers to choose from, but i will spare you the trouble. They are all good.