Why Russians Find It So Difficult To Embrace Change
10 min video looking at life in modern Russia
Art Of War
This is primarily a political blog for me to vent at politicians, but it is also a collection of art, graffiti, cartoons, documentaries, propaganda and satire that poke fun at those in power. The creativity that happens during times of difficulty is always exceptional as we find ways to see the funny side of life, so you'll find plenty of it on this blog along with the poetry of science, the universe and the environment, and the beauty in destruction, disaster and degradation of man's interventions on earth. As well as documentaries, lots of documentaries. If that sounds like your cup of tea, then you're in the right place.
The BBC is the most excellent media company in existence, their commitment to quality progamming both educational and entertainment is something that puts everyone else to shame.
So, here’s the final episode of a four part documentary on Russian politics called Putin, Russia & The West, which lays out modern Russian politics over the last decade and charts the rise of Vladimir Putin as he creates a modern day autocracy.
In part 4 we look at the partnership between Putin and Medvedev and finish with the most recent protests against Putin’s dictatorship. If you’re intersted in politics at all then this is essential viewing.
Putin, Russia & The West
Part 1 - Taking Control, Part 2 - Democracy Threatens, Part 3- War, Part 4 -New Start (above).
The BBC has a good form on these kinds of documentaries, see also
Secret Pakistan, about the assassination of Osama Bin Laden and Pakistan’s support of the Taliban.
Part 1 - Double Cross, Part 2 - Backlash
Iran & The West, charts how Iran went from key western ally in the middle east into revolution and to becoming one of the worlds most aggressive rouge states.
Part 1 - The Man Who Changed The World, Part 2 - The Pariah State, Part 3 - Nuclear Confrontation
and just because I like to share Adam Curtis (my favourite documentary maker) at every opportunity,
The Century Of The Self, is about how modern governments and corporation use Sigmund Freud’s theories to control the public in an age of mass democracy.
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
The Power Of Nightmares, documenting the use of fear to allow governments to control the masses and take away their freedoms
Part 1 - Baby It’s Cold Outside, Part 2 - The Phantom Victory, Part 3 - The Shadows In The Cave
The Trap, an almost prophetic look at economics and freedom and the disaster it was headed for, broadcast before crash in 2008
Part 1 - Fuck You Buddy, Part 2 - The Lonely Robot, Part 3 - We Will Force You To Be Free
Educating yourself is the most important responsibility you have to humanity, an educated public is a powerful and functional public and is the only way we will achieve a better future. This is only the tip of the iceberg, but it’s a start that helps light the touch paper.
Reblog and spread the information revolution!!
Russia, Putin & The West - Democracy Threatens
If you are interested in the backlash against Putin in Russia and want to know about the events that lead to Putin seizing power and becoming a dictator, then I thoroughly recommend this documentary on exactly that.
This is part 2/4, the rest have still to be broadcast on the BBC, click for part 1 and part 2 (above)
