Have you ever wondered why we are living in such a soulless world? And how the ideals of progress and freedom that Western Politicians have been trying to sell to us over the past decades have turned out to be terribly limited? Adam Curtis has and he’s taken his reflections into a thought-provoking three-part documentary being aired on BBC 2, titled “The Trap: What Happened To Our Dreams Of Freedom”.
His research links our current political model, regardless of the government’s orientation, to the post-war investigations of genius mathematician (while suffering from paranoia and other mental disorders) John Nash –His life was taken to the big screen played by Russell Crowe in the cheesy oscarized biopic “A Beautiful mind”-. Nash developed the “Game Theory”, a sophisticated way to anticipate possible Russian strategic movements during the Cold war period, giving step to the unstoppable arming process our nations have been through since, all with the final goal of maintaining the peace.
That has progressively leaked via psychology into all areas of society, shaping the world we are living in, through a political model that goes beyond the wildest dreams of the most hardcore classic capitalists by concluding that human beings move solely out of self interest and cannot be trusted.
The result has allowed society to behave like a self-regulated economic market, which has actually reduced our freedom, taking us to a money-adoring environment and led to the return of a tight class structure with little social mobility.
Among many other effects, it demystifies the notions of Democracy (“An Economy is preferable to a Democracy”) as well as reducing the human being to a simple, near automaton, information processor without taking into account that we are also capable of altruism and higher moral values.
Much can be discussed about it, but it’s the most extraordinary attempt to analyse these shallow times. It can be seen on prime time TV, and should be easy to find online -You tube has got the first two parts divided in 8 minutes chunks-. The last episode will be broadcast this coming Sunday (25-03). And the first two are already leaking online. Get your torrents ready for this is the best food for thought I have come to watch since, erm, the director’s previous works “The Power Of Nightmares” or “The Century of Self”.
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