BBC documentary THE POWER OF NIGHTMARES and Peter Bagge too.

Just watched a documentary about terrorism and it reminded me of a superb BBC documentary series called "The Power of Nightmares", which parallels the rise of the Muslim extremist movement in the Middle East and the Neo-Conservative movement in the U.S. from the 50's to the present day. Given how strenuously they placed themselves in opposition to each other religiously, politically and ideologically, it's fascinating how much they have in common and how dependent they are on each other. It's easy to see why this series did not air in the U.S. when it originally came out in 2004. Watch all three parts (they're each an hour long) here.

Or if you want a more lighthearted look at the sorry state of our messed-up world, just pick up the book "Everybody is Stupid Except for Me and Other Astute Observations" which just came out this week, a collection of ten years of "cartoon reporting" by the one and only Peter Bagge. With chapter titles like "Sluts for Jesus", "Your Friendly Neighbourhood Tyrant" and "Do Your Own Thing Unto Others", it's no surprise that it's really really funny. And self-described Liberatarian Bagge is an equal opportunity offender too, taking pretty accurate shots at both the conservative right and the liberal left. Some humourists just have the Gift of the Rant (Evan Dorkin, take a bow) and Peter Bagge has one of the most informed, common sense rants in comics today. Check it out!