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Oliver Stone's American history: 'We’re not under threat. We are the threat'


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Oliver Stone's American history: 'Were not under threat. We are the threat'

As he launches his new TV series offering a critical view of US overseas exploits, the film director tells MEE he didnt always see it that way

UNITED NATIONS American controversies are Oliver Stones forte.

The Hollywood movie director has turned his cameras on the assassination of John F Kennedy, the Vietnam War and the 9/11 attacks.

But, when researching his television series, The Untold History of the United States, it was American exploits in the Middle East that left him with the most lasting impression, he told Middle East Eye on Wednesday.

When I studied the untold history, one thing that really hit me hard was the history of our involvement in the Middle East, Stone said.

It was a nefarious involvement.

Stone traces Washingtons hand in the region back to the 1930s, but he says it reached a peak when President George HW Bush sent hundreds of thousands of US troops to liberate Kuwait after the Iraqi invasion of 1990.

The Soviet Union had recently collapsed and the region was wide open to a lone superpower, he said.

We never got out of there. Once we were in, were in forever, Stone said.

Weve destabilised the entire region, created chaos. And then we blame ISIS for the chaos we created, he added, referring to the Islamic State (IS) group that now rules swathes of Iraq and Syria.

Stone researched and wrote the series and book with Peter Kuznick, a scholar at the American University who specialises in the US nuclear strikes on Japan that ended the Second World War.

Its all about the oil. You remember the bumper sticker: What is our oil doing under their sand? Kuznick told MEE.

Washingtons hunger for fuel underpins its alliance with Saudi Arabia, the CIA-backed coup against Iranian prime minister Mohammad Mosaddegh in 1953 and its support for anti-Soviet religious militants in Afghanistan in the 1980s, he said.

We create these messes, then we have a grand military plan to solve them. And the military solutions just dont work, he said.

The views of Stone and Kuznick are not likely to raise eyebrows on the streets of Cairo, Moscow or Paris.

But in the US they are not mainstream.

The way Stone tells it, Americans live in a bubble and are spoon-fed information by a school system, politicians and a media that portrays the US as a beacon of stability and a force for good in the world.

In one famous example, former President Ronald Reagan called the US a shining city on a hill.

Its very comforting to be an American, Stone said.

You get the sense that you are safe and have prosperity of material goods, and that you have enemies everywhere Russia, China, Iran and North Korea.

You get into this cocoon where you have a big country, two oceans, but that youre always under threat.

Stone says he understands this well because he lived it himself.

He was raised in New York, the son of a Republican stockbroker, Louis Stone. He was always creative he often wrote short plays to entertain his family but never questioned how his history teachers puffed up the US, he said.

I had only gotten a part of the story, which emphasised American exceptionalism, America as a selfless and beneficial country to the world, he said.

In 1967, Stone volunteered to fight in the US Army and served in Vietnam. He was wounded twice and was honoured with a Bronze Star for heroism and a Purple Heart for his service.

I came back from Vietnam puzzled, completely confused about what was going on there, he said.

But I did get a heavy dose of the doublespeak, the militarese talk.

He started asking questions and reading up on progressive history at the same time as he studied filmmaking at New York University under Martin Scorsese and other teachers, he said.

These ideas fed his politically orientated filmmaking in the 1980s.

Salvador (1986) was set in a 1980s war in Central America. Platoon (1986), Stones directorial breakthrough movie, dramatised a young soldiers tour of duty in Vietnam, starring Charlie Sheen.

He continued probing that war in Born on the Fourth of July (1989), starring Tom Cruise. JFK (1991) showed his conspiracy theories about the former presidents killing; movies such as Nixon (1995) and W (2008) tackled subsequent commanders-in-chief.

The release of his movie about NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden has been delayed until 2016, he said.

He has also interviewed foreign statesmen who defy Washington from the Cuban revolutionary Fidel Castro to the ousted Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Untold History of the United States, a 10-part documentary series and a 750-page book, offers Americans an alternate perspective on US history from the Second World War through the Cold War to the present day.

Stone says he wants to counter the educational crime of misleading American schoolchildren.

American exceptionalism has to be driven out of our curriculums, he said.

Were not under threat. We are the threat.

http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/oliver-stone-tells-his-untold-history-middle-east-1467591396

Alright, he's selling movies, tv series, and books. But what he preaches rings of at least some truth.

Without American involvement, there's no refugee crisis, no ISIS. They saw an opportunity to take over the region and they took it, 'liberating' various countries like Iraq and Libya, but it's been messy to say the least. They stopped when it came to Iran and Syria, old soviet cold war territories, because the Russians (backed by the Chinese) came back.

During Arab spring there was a critical moment when the US was going to send in warships to topple Assad, but the Russians countered. Thankfully, both sides backed down, but after that it's been nothing but a refugee crisis and ISIS. Assad, meanwhile, remains in charge, while the Putin and the Russians are as heightened as ever as threats to the US.

So now what?

Does US (and Russian) foreign policy continue to see migrants swamp the EU? Or does Syria finally get stabilized so these people can return?

And while "it's all about the oil", there's certainly more to it than that.

The migrant crisis is going to force certain socialist EU countries into a position of potential bankruptcy, or at least the threat of it, so their socialist governments and policies will come under strain and end unless the people fight hard to retain them.

And of course the ISIS threat, which the US did it's part to create, is being used as propaganda in an effort to sway public opinion within countries that are in-line with current middle eastern policy. From sources on the left and the right, the Islamaphobia is rampant, esp. in the US. The statement "They all want to kill us." which is of course false, has become the norm. Sound familiar? It's what we were told to believe about the communists. But the the falling of the Iron Curtain revealed that what? They were all normal people, essentially just like us, just trying to get along. Ever since glasnost there's been a struggle it seems for some to build more giant walls. Trump literally wants to build one. Israel of course. Not to mention the walls put up in the media dividing the left and the right. Walls divide people so those in power can secure more of it.

So this is not all about the oil more than it's all about the power.

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Everything he says is true. ISIS is awful (there's no denying that) but the US due to scale has caused so much more damage around the world (while convincing their own citizens that they are in danger even though the danger is small in comparison).

I also want to point out the irony of the US being so worried about other countries having nuclear weapons, when they are the only ones that have ever actually used them. Sure you could say that was 70 years ago, but many in that country still justify it.

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Oh, Oliver.

Don't know what it is with his movies. I can watch JFK a hundred times even though it's mostly fantasy disguised as truth.

Same goes for platoon that took several isolated atrocities in the NAM war and made it out like a daily event for every drafted soldier.

Not saying this follows the same path but he's not the guy I would take political queues from. Makes very watchable movies, though.

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Oh, Oliver.

Don't know what it is with his movies. I can watch JFK a hundred times even though it's mostly fantasy disguised as truth.

Same goes for platoon that took several isolated atrocities in the NAM war and made it out like a daily event for every drafted soldier.

Not saying this follows the same path but he's not the guy I would take political queues from. Makes very watchable movies, though.

You'd be surprised how many take political cues from him, or Michael "No one in Canada locks their doors" Moore. Libs gonna lib.

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You'd be surprised how many take political cues from him, or Michael "No one in Canada locks their doors" Moore. Libs gonna lib.

Moore needs to be 'made irrelevant' for sure. Just sick Glenn Beck on him. lol

Im thinking about killing Michael Moore, and Im wondering if I could kill him myself, or if I would need to hire somebody to do it. No, I think I could. I think he could be looking me in the eye, you know, and I could just be choking the life out. Is this wrong? I stopped wearing my What Would Jesus band Do, and Ive lost all sense of right and wrong now. I used to be able to say, Yeah, Id kill Michael Moore, and then Id see the little band: What Would Jesus Do? And then Id realize, Oh, you wouldnt kill Michael Moore. Or at least you wouldnt choke him to death. And you know, well, Im not sure. responding to the question What would people do for $50 million?,

The Glenn Beck Program, May 17, 2005

Other great Glenn beck quotes:

"Al Gores not going to be rounding up Jews and exterminating them. It is the same tactic, however. The goal is different. The goal is globalizationAnd you must silence all dissenting voices. Thats what Hitler did. Thats what Al Gore, the U.N., and everybody on the global warming bandwagon [are doing]."

The Glenn Beck Program, May 1, 2007

"You know, we all have our inner demons. I, for one I cant speak for you, but Im on the verge of moral collapse at any time. It can happen by the end of the show."

The Glenn Beck Program, Nov. 6, 2006

"The violent left is coming to our streets, all of our streets, to smash, to tear down, to kill, to bankrupt, to destroy. It is will be global in its nature and global in its scope"

Values Voter Summit, Novemer 10 2008

"When you watch Barack Obama, you can just see he is angry.No matter how much power he has amassed, no matter how many friends in the media he has, Americans know. And if they reject it this time, if theyre so dead inside thats a possibility if theyre so dead inside that they can no longer see the difference between good and evil, we have to be destroyed because we will be a remarkable evil on this planet."

The Glenn Beck Program, 5 November 2012

Not that anyone takes their political cues from Glenn Beck. They're just 'adjacent.'

Oh wait, I found one guy (or perhaps two?)...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zWqFZKmSqk

:picard:

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dont worry russians are about to obliterate isis from face of earth they are using drones and have a huge force in syria watch them destroy the rebels with assad this is about to get real

at least the russians will actually do something about instead of the un which has red tape on everything it does

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Moore needs to be 'made irrelevant' for sure. Just sick Glenn Beck on him. lol

The Glenn Beck Program, May 17, 2005

Other great Glenn beck quotes:

Not that anyone takes their political cues from Glenn Beck. They're just 'adjacent.'

Oh wait, I found one guy...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zWqFZKmSqk

:picard:

Apparently Moore is making some other movie for his minions to salivate all over.

As for Trump, I'm not gonna vote for him, but I sure hope he makes Pres. Guy is a boss. :lol:

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America is a lot like the Canuck fan base. A lot of them think they are hated by every other group of fans (nations) for doing bad things when in reality, Americans and most of their politicians (and Canuck fans) are a diverse group that shouldn't be generalized so heavy. Oliver Stone in my opinion is a goof. Russia, China, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Somalia, Syria, Sudan, Myanmar and many others do absolutely TERRIBLE things. The USA comes by it's rap honestly, there is no doubt of that. I don't condone any on of the badness that the USA (and Canada under Harper) dish out to the world, but I can't stand the bias, one sided CRAP that sensationalism that non-pragmatic losers like Oliver Stone spew with every movie. Stick to entertaining Ollie, your political commentary is flawed.

There are factions in the USA that do the right things just the same as there are some CIA mofos killing children in order to assassinate a potential terrorist. This is not unique to the USA.

How many innocent kids did Canada kill in the Middle East this year? It's a tough question to answer.

EDIT: Rant complete!

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Meanwhile, Moore, as a 'fat lazy slob who complains a lot' isn't the threat to America. He is America.

What Moore really represents is a fat and gluttonous political population who have little concept of moderation and responsibility. Hence why they think government should be micromanaging people's lives.
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America is a lot like the Canuck fan base. A lot of them think they are hated by every other group of fans (nations) for doing bad things when in reality, Americans and most of their politicians (and Canuck fans) are a diverse group that shouldn't be generalized so heavy. Oliver Stone in my opinion is a goof. Russia, China, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Somalia, Syria, Sudan, Myanmar and many others do absolutely TERRIBLE things. The USA comes by it's rap honestly, there is no doubt of that. I don't condone any on of the badness that the USA (and Canada under Harper) dish out to the world, but I can't stand the bias, one sided CRAP that sensationalism that non-pragmatic losers like Oliver Stone spew with every movie. Stick to entertaining Ollie, your political commentary is flawed.

There are factions in the USA that do the right things just the same as there are some CIA mofos killing children in order to assassinate a potential terrorist. This is not unique to the USA.

How many innocent kids did Canada kill in the Middle East this year? It's a tough question to answer.

EDIT: Rant complete!

I see what you're saying, but I don't think Stone is saying that the USA is unique in it's badness. It's just that their badness is being sold as goodness to those who suffer from blindness.

Anyway, he is an entertainer. Like Trump.

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What Moore really represents is a fat and gluttonous political population who have little concept of moderation and responsibility. Hence why they think government should be micromanaging people's lives.

What Trump really represents is a fat and gluttonous political population who have little concept of moderation and responsibility.

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What Trump really represents is a fat and gluttonous political population who have little concept of moderation and responsibility.

Lol what? Being the only polititian that is self funded = no moderation or responsibility. Do you read what you type??

So hildog with her 180m net worth and using other peoples money (remaining 720m) is more responsible then trump?

Please clarify wtf you meant other then meaningless slander

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