Watching this in 2020 is a bit surreal. Who knew in 2012, when this documentary was produced, that we would be once again living in age of reactionary nationalism and a return to fascist authoritarianism throughout the world?
Oliver Stone's documentary was originally released as a 10-hour series on Showtime, each episode being a "chapter" which covers the history of the US as a global power from the beginning of World War II to Obama's presidency and his use of drone warfare. The Netflix release includes episodes 11 & 12 from the Blu-Ray, which are referred to as "appendices" A & B, and go back to 1900 to the 1920's and discuss the roots of American imperialism with the election of William Mckinley.
The first three chapters cover WWII, paying particular attention to Henry Wallace, FDR's second VP, and concluding with big question of whether the atomic bomb was necessary to end the war in Japan. Although the myth of Truman grappling with the decision is exposed (and this can be checked and confirmed), the idea that the Japanese were "about to surrender" and were more worried about the Soviet invasion, is the standard Russian line and counterfactual supposition, NOT history. Still, the fact that numerous high ranking military commanders and scientists who worked on the Manhattan project objected to using the bomb on moral grounds should not be forgotten. Dropping the bomb on the civilian populations of Hiroshima & Nagaski, was in fact a war crime of monumental proportions and morally indefensible. We should look at its use as a shameful moment, and stop rationalizing it.
It then goes into the Cold War & Vietnam, giving a comprehensive overview of the neocolonialist policies the US pursed in the name of fighting communism.
Finally, we get into the post-Cold War era of globalization, the Iraq war and the "war on terror", which just served as a cover for Zbigniew Brzezinski's middle east strategy from the 1970's.
Episode 10, which was the last episode of the original release, concludes with Obama's disappointing continuation of the same imperialist strategy of the Bush administration, with the cover of Obama's softer, more diplomatic approach. This also includes the use of modern drone warfare, allowing the US to murder countless foreigners with the cold detachment of playing a video game and reducing media stories of dead US soldiers (because sick brainwashed Americans have learned to not even acknowledge non-US deaths inflicted by our mass murder machine).
Watching the "appendices" is vitally important. It isn't until near the end of ep. 12 that Stone actually gives a full accounting of Stalin's crimes within Russia. This is also where he discusses the dispute of Trotsky & Stalin over the critical question of "permanent revolution" vs "socialism in one country," and Stone appears to support Trotsky. Without this segment, it's easy to view the first few episodes as a Stalin apologia that would make Enver Hoxha proud.
Overall, this documentary is very well made, and a great counter-narrative to anyone raised on anti-communist, pro-imperialist propaganda that dominates the US imagination, including most of the Hearst-owned History Channels crypto-fascist dreck.
Of course, for those who are familiar with the works of Howard Zinn, Michael Parenti, or Noam Chomsky, most of the information here is not new. The one major person I was not aware of was Henry Wallace, who has been reduced to a footnote by most mainstream popular historical accounts, including text books. Seeing how he was tragically robbed of the Vice Presidential nomination in the 1944 Democratic National convention, was chilling to watch in the current climate where billionaires are colluding in the most blatantly corrupt way stop Bernie Sanders from gaining the Presidential nomination.
Of course, this has a left-wing bias, and I can see why some might not like it. However, most of the information here is factual. There are a few errors, most glaringly depicting Soviet takeover of Finland. If the segment in the last "appendice" episode, critical of Stalin, had been included in the original release, I think you'd see a lot less 1 star reviews. There is, of course, a lot left out, but there is only so much that you can fit in a 10-hour documentary. This is meant to be a counter-narrative to the popular patriotic pro-imperialist myths, not to be a detailed comprehensive historical overview. Hopefully, this will encourage viewers to learn more about history and challenge the assumptions they are fed.
For those who question Stone's patriotism, remember that he is a decorated Vietnam veteran, who volunteered for service and was honorably discharged. The impact the war had him affected him deeply, and made him question the propaganda and lies he had been told that encouraged him to volunteer as a young man. The atrocities committed by the US in Vietnam weigh on him heavily, only someone with deep moral clarity can come out that situation and speak truth to power, rejecting the comfort of blind patriotism, much like the hero Smedley Butler.
Oliver Stone's documentary was originally released as a 10-hour series on Showtime, each episode being a "chapter" which covers the history of the US as a global power from the beginning of World War II to Obama's presidency and his use of drone warfare. The Netflix release includes episodes 11 & 12 from the Blu-Ray, which are referred to as "appendices" A & B, and go back to 1900 to the 1920's and discuss the roots of American imperialism with the election of William Mckinley.
The first three chapters cover WWII, paying particular attention to Henry Wallace, FDR's second VP, and concluding with big question of whether the atomic bomb was necessary to end the war in Japan. Although the myth of Truman grappling with the decision is exposed (and this can be checked and confirmed), the idea that the Japanese were "about to surrender" and were more worried about the Soviet invasion, is the standard Russian line and counterfactual supposition, NOT history. Still, the fact that numerous high ranking military commanders and scientists who worked on the Manhattan project objected to using the bomb on moral grounds should not be forgotten. Dropping the bomb on the civilian populations of Hiroshima & Nagaski, was in fact a war crime of monumental proportions and morally indefensible. We should look at its use as a shameful moment, and stop rationalizing it.
It then goes into the Cold War & Vietnam, giving a comprehensive overview of the neocolonialist policies the US pursed in the name of fighting communism.
Finally, we get into the post-Cold War era of globalization, the Iraq war and the "war on terror", which just served as a cover for Zbigniew Brzezinski's middle east strategy from the 1970's.
Episode 10, which was the last episode of the original release, concludes with Obama's disappointing continuation of the same imperialist strategy of the Bush administration, with the cover of Obama's softer, more diplomatic approach. This also includes the use of modern drone warfare, allowing the US to murder countless foreigners with the cold detachment of playing a video game and reducing media stories of dead US soldiers (because sick brainwashed Americans have learned to not even acknowledge non-US deaths inflicted by our mass murder machine).
Watching the "appendices" is vitally important. It isn't until near the end of ep. 12 that Stone actually gives a full accounting of Stalin's crimes within Russia. This is also where he discusses the dispute of Trotsky & Stalin over the critical question of "permanent revolution" vs "socialism in one country," and Stone appears to support Trotsky. Without this segment, it's easy to view the first few episodes as a Stalin apologia that would make Enver Hoxha proud.
Overall, this documentary is very well made, and a great counter-narrative to anyone raised on anti-communist, pro-imperialist propaganda that dominates the US imagination, including most of the Hearst-owned History Channels crypto-fascist dreck.
Of course, for those who are familiar with the works of Howard Zinn, Michael Parenti, or Noam Chomsky, most of the information here is not new. The one major person I was not aware of was Henry Wallace, who has been reduced to a footnote by most mainstream popular historical accounts, including text books. Seeing how he was tragically robbed of the Vice Presidential nomination in the 1944 Democratic National convention, was chilling to watch in the current climate where billionaires are colluding in the most blatantly corrupt way stop Bernie Sanders from gaining the Presidential nomination.
Of course, this has a left-wing bias, and I can see why some might not like it. However, most of the information here is factual. There are a few errors, most glaringly depicting Soviet takeover of Finland. If the segment in the last "appendice" episode, critical of Stalin, had been included in the original release, I think you'd see a lot less 1 star reviews. There is, of course, a lot left out, but there is only so much that you can fit in a 10-hour documentary. This is meant to be a counter-narrative to the popular patriotic pro-imperialist myths, not to be a detailed comprehensive historical overview. Hopefully, this will encourage viewers to learn more about history and challenge the assumptions they are fed.
For those who question Stone's patriotism, remember that he is a decorated Vietnam veteran, who volunteered for service and was honorably discharged. The impact the war had him affected him deeply, and made him question the propaganda and lies he had been told that encouraged him to volunteer as a young man. The atrocities committed by the US in Vietnam weigh on him heavily, only someone with deep moral clarity can come out that situation and speak truth to power, rejecting the comfort of blind patriotism, much like the hero Smedley Butler.