Given the vapid nature of much television, the recent Adam Curtis triptych on BBC2 Sunday evenings 9p.m, on socio-political thought has been exceptional. A review can be found here

To summarise briefly for those who haven’t seen it (there is still one more episode this Sunday night,) Adam Curtis looks at the macro-shifts across the 20th century of increasing personal freedom and the power of the free markets in substituting the power of government and politics. The notion that the markets are a better reflection of the democratic will of the people than politicians could ever hope to represent, is according to Curtis one of the driving philosopohical beliefs which has shaped our society throughout the last 30 years and which has led us into what he calls “The Trap.” By dismantling notions of collective social identity and at its most basic society, in exchange for individualistic and ultimatley self serving concepts of freedom, governments have been forced to tighten rather than loosen its grip on civil liberties in an attpemt to control a deeply fragmented society. We are actually less free, Curtis argues than we were fifty years ago.

In short, it’s not your average thesis which spills out of the box on a Sunday night and it certainly makes for some very uncomfortable viewing both for those to the right and left of the political spectrum. After the BBC Iraq dosier run in with the government, it is refreshing to see that the BBC still have the nerve to show what is ultimately the most damning programme I have ever seen on the nature of modern government. I feel debate and discussion is called for. Get writing….

Filed under: freespeech, identity, society, ukpolitics on March 22nd, 2007