Fascinating stuff. Thanks for posting this, Sekha!
Freud's view of human nature seems to resemble Buddha's in many ways. As the documentary explains, Freud believed human behavior is driven by irrational sexual and aggressive impulses, which, if not tamed, can destroy us. Buddha, likewise, taught that human behavior is conditioned by lobha, dvesha and moha -- which, if untamed, can drag us into hell.
Both Freud and Buddha sought a path to awakening. Freud's thought he had found it via the psychoanalytic method. Buddha's, of course, was the eightfold path.
It's no surprise that corporations and governments exploited Freud's insights -- understanding human nature is key to manipulating it.
I once worked for a businessman, a self-made millionaire. He had taken two majors in college: electrical engineering and psychology. The first, he said, gave him the technological literacy he needed to design a new product. But it was the latter which enabled him to manipulate customers and markets in order to create a demand for his goods.
I've seen some examples of Buddhist teachings and practices being exploited in similar ways