The Century Of The Self, Part 2: The Engineering Of Consent

BBC ^ | 2002 | Adam Curtis

[Jack Hydrazine]

Adam Curtis' acclaimed series examines the rise of the all-consuming self against the backdrop of the Freud dynasty. This series is a MUST SEE for all those who want to know the truth about the use of subliminal manipulation of the subconscious to induce the "buying of products" - be they consumer goods, policies, or politicians. ,,,and ultimately the creation of "false flag" operations to induce the "nightmares" [nexuses of evil, terrorism, etc.] needed to maintain the allegience to these "products" that only a common enemy can achieve...

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

Creator, Adam Curtis, has graciously made this BBC series available for download in various formats at Internet Archive here: http://www.archive.org/details/AdamCurtis_TheCenturyOfTheSelf

SERIES DETAIL:

To many in both politics and business, the triumph of the self is the ultimate expression of democracy, where power has finally moved to the people. Certainly the people may feel they are in charge, but are they really? The Century of the Self tells the untold and sometimes controversial story of the growth of the mass-consumer society in Britain and the United States. How was the all-consuming self created, by whom, and in whose interests?

The Freud dynasty is at the heart of this compelling social history. Sigmund Freud, founder of psychoanalysis; Edward Bernays, who invented public relations; Anna Freud, Sigmund's devoted daughter; and present-day PR guru and Sigmund's great grandson, Matthew Freud.

Sigmund Freud's work into the bubbling and murky world of the subconscious changed the world. By introducing a technique to probe the unconscious mind, Freud provided useful tools for understanding the secret desires of the masses. Unwittingly, his work served as the precursor to a world full of political spin doctors, marketing moguls, and society's belief that the pursuit of satisfaction and happiness is man's ultimate goal.

EPISODE DETAIL: The Engineering Of Consent

The episode explores how those in power in post-war America used Freud's ideas about the unconscious mind to try and control the masses.

Politicians and planners came to believe Freud's underlying premise - that deep within all human beings were dangerous and irrational desires and fears. They were convinced that it was the unleashing of these instincts that had led to the barbarism of Nazi Germany. To stop it ever happening again they set out to find ways to control this hidden enemy within the human mind.

Sigmund Freud's daughter, Anna, and his nephew, Edward Bernays, provided the centrepiece philosophy. The US government, big business, and the CIA used their ideas to develop techniques to manage and control the minds of the American people. But this was not a cynical exercise in manipulation. Those in power believed that the only way to make democracy work and create a stable society was to repress the savage barbarism that lurked just under the surface of normal American life.

[cripplecreek]

The Engineering Of Consent

We see it every day in the media.

[Jack Hydrazine]

Yes, and this gives you the background on where it started.