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I've been given the U.S. exclusive look at the trailer for Oliver Stone’s new documentary South of the Border which is sharply critical of the U.S. media's coverage of Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez and 6 other Latin American leaders. Stone will personally premiere the film at the Venice Film Festival this Monday:
Trailer: Oliver Stone's 'South Of The Border'
By Nikki Finke | Category: Documentaries, Film Festivals, Media | Thursday September 3, 2009 @ 1:29pm
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Looks cool, low-budg. I dig it!
Your are an idiot! Do you even know what the word “socialist” means??? Look it up
You are so stupid. North Americans think know the problems of your backyard: The South America? The most part of the U.S people dont know where stay Venezuela. Think the capital of Brasil is Buenos Aires.
Wake up. Stop dremaming with your first million. 99% of you even near of this will be.
Solcilism, is a solution, not just for teh “3º wolrd”, but at your faleid and stupid economy.
Read more people. Read the classics. Forget what your newspapaer said. Socialism is not share the misery, is to build a betheer future, not just for the 5% of the people, like capitalism do, but for all.
Read more people.
Cristiano Freitas Cezar
Silvânia-Goiás-Brasil
You REally are an IDIOT!!! Are you A F@**ng Chavista??? I hope all of you arsehole die!!!
Read? Why don’t you learn to speak English first. This post makes no sense at all.
Chavez is strangling and silencing the press, he just passed a law criminalizing any and all
demonstrations against him. Television stations are closed down if anything is said against him.
Only one basic network television station remains that is not government run and the only reason that is still running is because they have agreed to say nothing negative about Chavez. One cable station
that has remained open and continues to tell the truth about his unquenchable thirst for power is
constantly being harassed, One of it’s owners was just recently jailed on trumped up charges and
Chavez continually warns them that he is going to close them down. I can go on and on but somehow these rich Hollywood film makers find a way to defend this! If this happened to their country they would be up in arms. But this is a case of pure racism. It’s okay for others to live this way because they are not American white people.
oh my god…you people really need to wake up! america smashed against the wall with 200 mp/h economically and still you show no signs of stepping off the gas pedal. this our world won’t function if only a few have the wealth and the influence over our resources…in previous situations like these things happened like the french or AMERICAN revolution…but this time it’s on a more global scale.
btw. the trailer got me pretty interested. looks like stone hit the nail again.
Yes MR Chavez is not a “democrat”, nor is a “republican” he is clearly a “person who would like to be a king” but perhaps under the KING OF SPAIN, who he “just visited” not the “masonic kings” that rule in this nation under God!
So he is called a “military dictator” and perhaps that is what he is, he also claims to be “THE PEOPLE” that is typical for kings, for so also Louis the 14th called himself:
L’etat c’est moi, he said and that means I am the state, well “Hugo Chavez” goes further he says:
I am the people, that is the sovereign of the nation is it not?
lol You have no idea what you are saying. RCTV, Globovision, Venevision they are still broadcasting and they are still against CHAVEZ. What network media has he close? you are talking nonsense. Go to the website of those channels and you will see they are still broadcasting. Before you comment you should get your facts right
Why don’t you learn portuguese and reply to him in his own language after he took the trouble to learn English.
Jesus man – educate yourself!
When I see people babbling on about How socialism is the answer and that are economy is the problem. Hmm, they obviously have no understanding on how capitalism works and should not even be commenting on something that they obviously have no idea about. It was not until bush and now obama made capitalism did not work. You cant involve government money in the private sector. That is called socialism, in capitalism you mess up you pay for it, now its mess up and your tax dollars pay for it. Now if you think about that, it shouldn’t make any sense to you. And back to the comment saying we are stupid, well if it wasn’t for America and its economy and if the majority of your fellow citizens agree with you then your country will never advance, because with out us you would probably be still using horses, that’s if you ever figured out how the wheel worked. Capitalism gave us the greatest inventions ever, now if you don’t agree then you need to learn how function properly before you hurt yourself.
President Chávez: Thousands of’em hate you; millions of us, love you !
Congratulations Oliver and welcome to the south of the border !
Globovision and RCTV no longer broadcast with an open signal. Only trough cable, now the people have to pay to watch these channels.
The government confiscated RCTV equipments. All the media workers of these TV stations live under siege just because they inform the truth.
Remember, Oliver Stones specializes in fictional movies. If you still believe in what Oliver Stone portrays in his “documental” go live in Venezuela without a boyguard and a bullet-proof car. Just try to walk in the streets with a nice pair of NIKE shoes!You wouldn’t last a day!
Just remember one thing, Chavez is not Venezuela. Venezuelans do not like him. NEVER BELIEVE WHAT CHAVEZ SAYS!!!!!
I am totally disgusted with Oliver Stone. To spend a few days
with Chavez and then paint a pretty picture of him is upsetting.
Did he bother to get information of all the industries he has
destroyed or taken over that now there is not even milk in my country. Did he bother to get information on the people under arrest because of oposite views. Did he bother to check the trumpt charges against the oposition where many could not register to vote on the last election. The millions that Chavez is giving to
Cuba in unpaid oil, and which Venezuela is unlikely to collect.
The millions he has spent on all the elections of his “socialist” cronies. Please get your facts and then make a documentary, by what little I saw of your preview you are showing a propaganda fiction. Needless to say you will never get one single cent from me.
You don’t get it. Oliver Stone approves of the thuggery of Chavez. That’s how the Left is. They can’t admit it openly except among themselves, but they really admire leaders who destroy freedom in the name of the People.
You realy dnt’t know anything about anything that goes on in your own country chavez is the only solution that we venezuelan have the reason that we are where we are is because we had 50 years of people that call them self polititians and all they did was party away our money buy expensive homes in Miami and elsewhere and did not espend one cent in the countrys economy yeah we may have some corruption now but nothing compare wiht previus govermants and the money is been invested in the people and I mean the real people the poor people that you as a rich or middle class never see in the bubble that you lived and about the milk problem let me tell you this is created by the private sector mafia that they don’t like the fact that all the money is not going thrier way.
GREAT JOB MR OLIVER STONE OUR VOICE WILL HEARD
Can you read spanish if you do please check out this
http://www.telesurtv.net/noticias/secciones/nota/34606-NN/chavez-inaugura-planta-procesadora-de-leche/
Chavez has open a new plant to process milk in Venezuela because the transnational companies would not sell Venezuela milk because in Venezuela they regulate the profits. Which I think it is great because it is not fair that these companies take advantage of the people by dictating their prices
typical modern idiot: “looks cool” so it must be truth.
i dont care what these internet bloggers opinions are i just need a deadline for when this movie will be released in NYC. WHEN DOES IT COME OUT OR WHERE CAN I BUY IT!
Is this Wall Street 2?
It’s easy to be a socialist from a distance when you’re rich and drive a Mercedes Benz.
Mr. Stone has lost all credibility with me. He knows nothing of the realities of Latin America, starting with the country of my parents’ birth, Cuba.
He should stick to making fictional movies, and leave his skewed political views to the side. Hugo Chavez is nationalizing every major insustry in Venezuela, and jailing on trumped up charges, all those who oppose him. He’s also changing the educational system in order to indoctrinate Venezuelan children to follow his new socialist model.
This is cause to celebrate the man? Sure, Oliver doesn’t care, he’s filthy rich.
Garbage. Elitist garbage.
Not to mention removing the law of Term Limits which means he can be President For Life and can fix any and all elections without fear of ever being “termed out”.
What about the changes in the constitution of the Dominican Republic, allowing for indefinite reelection of the president, or in Colombia, allowing the for the same, that does not seem to bother the Elite or the media in the US, maybe, just maybe, they are aligned with the Elite in the US. Pure coincidence.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/spanish/latin_america/newsid_4358000/4358500.stm
http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-175283866.html
i am sorry to have to point out that you are an idiot.
Excellent commenT Rguimaraes. Way to articulate why he’s wrong. You’re so smart!
Having lived in a socialist country (Australia), for 20 years, I have to laugh at the ignorance of americans who toss the ‘S’ word around like it’s evil. Look at the list of countries with the highest standard of living…the top 5 are socialist. Capitalism = greed and lack of concern for your fellow countryman, as seen by the screaming, lying republicans scaremongers, horrified that everyone might have health care. This country is going down the tubes, and you conservatives might well be shocked to learn that ‘God’ ISN’T on your side. Hypocrites.
yep. I live in the US and I don’t think it can be saved despite anyone’s best intentions. There is too much hate, greed, selfishness, and lack of personal responsibility. From the way we perceive ourselves to the food we eat, our country is headed towards its downfall.
Socialism is bad for Americans. It runs counter to our nature. Australians, New Zealanders, and Canadians can never understand the fundamental nature of Americans because they’ve never had the backbone to free themselves of their colonizers. It’s in your nature as an Australian to let the collectivist state dictate their lives to them, but not in ours. Our nation was founded on the idea that the individual decides what is best for himself/herself, not the state. We were founded on the concept of liberty, not on enriching the empire of a foggy gray island off the coast of France. For Americans to surrender their rights of self-determination is about as appealing as having pictures of some old English broad on our money.
As for the other poster bemoaning a lack of “personal responsibility,” as socialist state is certainly not a fix for that. Socialism serves to infantilize a populace, making them dependent and weak-minded. Louisiana has run a collectivist state that encourages state dependency, and look at what happened during Hurricane Katrina: “Why didn’t the government rescue me? Why didn’t the government tell me to leave? Why isn’t the government bringing me food? Why hasn’t the government fixed my house yet?” Socialism will turn America into a nation of mush-brained kindergartners unable to do anything for themselves other than cash a welfare check.
Yep, America…one nation, under gun.
One nation under GOD with the right to own guns. Unlike in communists country.
It that is what it takes, so be it!
It is unfortunate that we Australians have as you say “never had the backbone” to free ourselves from the British Monarchy. I personally would love to get rid of the Queen as our head of state and create a republic, but unfortunately whenever we hold a referendum on the issue (the last one being about 10 years ago) the monarchy supporters point to the US and say “do you really want us to end up like them?” and of course the referendum fails.
It’s pretty obvious the democratic process is long dead in the US with corporations owning Washington lock stock and barrel. The US was founded on the concept of liberty and justice but somewhere along the way transformed into a weapons factory with the morals of a Wall St corporation.
I was so hopeful when Obama took office that corporations would lose their iron grip on power but ignoring Obama’s image and judging him on his actions, he’s just as a big a Wall St shill as Bush.
As an American you have to realise that your hatred of communism and socialism has been ingrained in you through your media probably since the day you were born. The idea that everyone should be treated equally and that resources should be shared equally are not that abhorrent. Of course you’ve been told that the sky will fall and everyone will turn into stupid lazy unmotivated zombies under a more socialist system by the people with the most to lose if it happens. Unfortunately you don’t realise you already live in a country of ignorant zombies thanks to people like my once fellow countryman Rupert Murdoch and his disgraceful media empire. Now he’s an American citizen you really should trial him for treason. Fox news has done more damage to your country than Bin Laden ever could.
Anyway, Buddha bless the Internet so that we can all connect to each other and share our opinions and give each other a different perspective on things. It’s great that mainstream media has finally lost it’s stranglehold on our minds. Let’s hope it’s not fleeting.
I am a Cuban American, I was born in Cuba and the notion of everyone being equal is a farce. Have you seen the way Raul Castro or Chavez, or Fidel live, their clothing? That’s not what the people have, the people lack the bare necessities of life.
Here in this “wicked United States of America” EVERYONE HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SUCCEED!!!! EVERYONE HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK, AND EXPRESS THEIR OPINION. If you socialism lovers, (and I may add you have no idea what the hell you are talking about) would live in a country like Cuba, like USSR was, like China, like Venezuela now, you would not be able to write all the stupidity you are writing, first because you would not have a computer, and second if you did, it would be monitored and sensored, and you could go to jail. I know what it is to have a ration book and get one pair of shoes a year, and when your turn comes up they ran out. I know what it is to go to sleep with the only thing to eat was a piece of old bread and a glass of sugar water. And I may add I know what it is to have your father and your mother taken to farms to do hard labor simply because they wanted to leave the country.
The system in the US may not be perfect, but as bad as it is, EVERYONE WANTS TO COME HERE, I don’t see people taking rafts to go to Cuba, or jumping fences to get into Venezuela.
Cuba was a flourishing country, today if you are one of the equals, el pueblo, the hospitals do not have sheets for you, there is no coffee, no salt, etc… IT DOES NOT MATTER WHAT I TELL YOU, YOU WON’T BELIEVE ME. IT HAS TO BE SUFFERED. THOUSANDS HAVE DIED TO FIGHT IT, AND THOUSANDS ARE IN JAILS FOR NOT AGREEING WITH IT, OR FOR BUYING A POUND OF COFFEE OR MEAT TO FEED THEIR KIDS IN THE BLACK MARKET.
Oliver Stone is sooo stupid, saying that he just found nations that just want to manage their own resources. What a joke, they want to steal everything from the people, so they can enjoy it themselves like Castro has done. And by the way, my family was a working family, they were not rich. But in hindsight we were millionaires and we thought Castro was bringing “CHANGE” AND EQUALITY.
I’m sorry for you struggles.
I was born and bred in Australia and no doubt have one of the easiest existences on the planet so I definitely have a different perspective than you.
I have no doubt at all the reason the standard of living here is so high is because of our “socialist” social security system.
In Australia education and healthcare is free for people for can’t afford it, and generally the only people who live on the street are people who choose to. If you can’t find a job or can’t work due to injury the government will pay you indefinitely until you can.
It’s not perfect here. University education and Dentistry are not free, and as far as I’m concerned that’s a problem that needs to be addressed.
I don’t think it’s too much to ask in 2009 that every citizen should be free to live a healthy, educated life with adequate food, water and shelter.
The taxation levels here would give most Americans a heart attack but anyone with half a brain should be able to work out it’s worth it. Who wants to live in a country where a certain percentage of the population is starving and desperate? Most of the crime here is generally drug related, mainly due to the stupid drug laws our US loving moron politicians pass.
If I was in charge recreational drugs would be provided for free to addicts.
From your post I can see life in Cuba lacks some basic freedoms. That really sucks.
I’m sure you realise though that a major part of the reason life in Cuba is so tough is because of the crushing international sanctions the US has had against it for decades.
I’m afraid putting “wicked United States of America” in quotes doesn’t change the fact that most people who live in the developed world outside of the influence of the US propaganda machine are not OK with millions of dead Iraqi citizens for oil and weapons sales. Especially since the US don’t even officially bother to count Iraqi civilian deaths. Especially since they used the deaths of their own citizens to manufacture an excuse to invade in the first place. Most of us are fucking outraged actually. Most of us think Bush and his cronies are some of the most evil cunts to walk the Earth. Castro better try a bit harder if wants to have a shot at the title I’m afraid. He’s a rank amateur in the evil stakes. Who knows though…given an opportunity maybe he would be even worse.
At the end of the day it’s human nature that causes all of our problems.
If people could resist their flag waving, nationalistic, patriotic tendencies and instead always view their political parties with a critical eye and hold them to account and not let them get away with the shit they do we’d all be better off for it.
Anyway, that’s my perspective.
I could not have said it any better
To Clarify my previous reply for whom:
To Michael 3:45 posting
I could not have said it any better. Thanks! you made me feel good knowing that there are others that are not sheep, who’s perceptions are manipulated by the media. Only Sceptics will find the un-sanitized versions of true history. Noam Chomsky anyone?
WELL SAID!
Michael – I’m an American and have a hard time seeing the USA as a “capitalist” nation simply because we are so reliant on socialism as the backbone of our economy. The military-industrial complex is socialist. When I say that, people think I’m insulting the troops or calling them welfare queens, but that reflects a fundamental (and politicized) misunderstanding of capitalism vs. socialism. The military and its support industries are funded almost entirely by the taxpayers, and administrated by the government. This socialism touches almost every aspect of the economy, while fully employing tens of millions of people. Not just soldiers, military contractors, arms manufacturers, materiel manufacturers, companies like Haliburton that build infrastructure, companies that do research, transport troops, etc… it’s all government controlled and/or regulated, and taxpayer funded.
We are in many ways a socialist country. And our unique socialist structure requires wars, or the preparation for war against a feared enemy, to continue employing these people. Seriously, imagine what the unemployment rate would look like if the wars ended and all unnecessary personnel were laid off, 2/3 of the foreign bases closed, and we stopped weapons production for one year.
Now, I work in Latin America and think Hugo Chavez is… ugh, I really don’t like that guy. BUT, I don’t think he’s a dictator, or a danger to America, or arming FARC, or any of the stuff I see regularly in the US Press. Yes, he’s shut down some media outlets, which is one of the things I hate about him. But he’s an elected leader and gets a lot of feedback. And Correa? Or Kirshner? I think they’re both doing fine jobs. (Ortega not so much, and Evo annoys me, too.) And Lula is outstanding, he scares me a little because he’s creating the new USA, ie, the new power in the hemisphere, but he’s doing it by building a strong capitalist system that will outcompete ours. How? With a socialist infrastructure that helps Brazilians fairly efficiently, as opposed to our socialist infrastructure that has been plowed into the sands of Iraq.
Anyway, I’m interested to see this movie. I bet it will play well in Latin America. And you know, as the USA threatens to collapse into civil war, people down here are having peaceful elections and resolving their (significant!) differences without dragging AK47s to healthcare debates. See El Salvador for more on that. Peace preserves infrastructure and builds wealth. One exception to this trend is Honduras, which Glenn Beck and the military socialists are threatening to emulate. But really, take a look at Honduras. Is that what you want for the future of the USA? If so, you haven’t been to Tegucigalpa recently. What a mess.
I have to take some exceptions to your attitudes, yes, I am still somewhat of an individualist when it comes right down to it, and all that I can see that is “destroying the moral fiber” in this nation under God is the “pervading spirit of pessimism”, that is being “brought in” by the “robbery spirit” that is “like a trojan horse”, carried in the belly of this evil kingman fraternity also known as or aka the ORDERS OF FREEMASONRY who are all, sworn to secrecy about their “evil orders of kingcraft” under the threat of death, now if you want to hear the “giant sucking sound” of “departing money” that is heading to Switzerland from here, don’t get too close or the “money will deposit you also in a Swiss banking vault”, please forgive this sense of humor in this context, but you know perhaps what I am talking about, no individualistic enterprise, is about greed perhaps, and perhaps the mormons did the right thing when they decided to do things together but then they were “reprimanded” for being too “community oriented” but then again, there is nothing wrong with “individual enterprise” but Joseph Smith stated that “those who get together to work on a greater community goal” often receive greater blessings than those who merely seek to “promote their own welfare”!
Socialism is not bad, the same way that capitalism isn’t. What is bad are the intentions with a personal agenda like it is with Chavez. Brazilian president Lula is a great example of socialism in pro of the people, working for the rights and at the same time promoting and creating incentives for the industry. Stone’s view is very narrow since it’s very easy for him to judge others from a nice mansion in Brentwood, California. Ask the people living in poverty in Venezuela, ask the thousands of working class people that had to move to other countries because they simply couldn’t agree with the unfair politics of Chavez, leaving behind family members, years of efforts and dreams.
Chavez is just BS a the highest level. When someone gives away the oil of a country just to reach his own personal goals is just killing silently the future of a nation.
Socialism works in many ways and is not the evil perception of most americans, but the way Chavez handles it is far from fair. Today corruption and violence in Venezuela is the highest in its history. Hospitals don’t receive the support that Chavez promised, same with schools, and besides, all the intellectual groups are gone. The future is not only uncertain but dark.
Freedom of speech doesn’t exist anymore in Venezuela. Political prisoners increase every day.
Check this to see the reality of Venezuela:
Human Rights
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxUNCqZoqMA
Media censorship
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yegesq84hn0
No. Socialism is statist and anti-freedom at its root. To that extent it really is evil.
You know I agree with you.
I just wonder, how much Chavez had to pay Oliver. If he did not pay him, then he is one Stupid person.
And to anyone that thinks that what Chavez is doing is good; I challenge you to go live there for a year or a month and see how you like it.
Chavez has turned Venezuela’s people against each other.
And all those presidents of the other countries, most of them are on Chavez’s payroll. They simply could not say anything negative or they would stop receiving their money.
I just wish Chavez dies, very painfully.
Too bad that Mr.Oliver felt the need to create this documentary where shows Chavez as a “great president”…am sure he did not travel to the rural areas of Venezuela or had the opportunity to talk to the hardworking class people…well my guess will be “of course NO”
…to sad to think that,Mr.Oliver was probably controlled by Chavez during his visit to Venezuela…I wonder if Mr.Oliver forgot the meaning of “freedom”….or :”Human Rights”…
I could not have said it better. It is so EASY to go and spend a few weeks in the best hotels and restaurants in South-America and then come back to say everything is great with those “leaders”.
Chavez is just doing exactly what he said he would not do, take advantage of the Venezuelan people and creating a culture of hate among ourselves.
I wish somebody would take Mr. Stone in a “mototaxi” through the Venezuelan “cerros” to show him what poverty really is.
I was born and raised in Venezuela. I am by NO means rich. My parents are both educators and I just wish this nightmare called called Hugo Chavez and his Bolivarian Revolution would END soon so we can start working in rebuilding our country.
you want to talk about indoctrination? in the united states all the books we read in k-12 are all written by the same group of people with the same ideals, values and principles and interestingly enough, they all still look alike: white, male and rich! the history books that they write, since 1492, we read without having a say because if we dont we fail! if we dont read the books we are considered “troubled” children that fell through the cracks! the next time you talk about indoctrination consider the above!
There is indeed such a thing as “indoctrination” when it comes to being an “American citizen” and while I was not “indoctrinated” as a child, I was clearly indoctrinated as an adult with these words:
Shut up about our evil conspiracy of wicked kings of freemasonry for “look at Hugo Chavez” and his counterpart in Cuba, you don’t want to live there for they have no freedom whatsoever, and the answer of course is “no I want to not live under a wicked socialist dictatorship” any more than under a wicked fascist or kingmanship, to be frank I desire to be free from all these “wicked secret or open oppressors” and desire to “chart my own course in history” instead of repeating all the mistakes my ancestors already did once, therefore I now sponsor a “capitalist revolution” where people have enough property to “take care of themselves” and their own families and do not have to “cowtow” to any kings of freemasonry nor have to “worship any socialist elite” in order to get their “daily food” but can “obtain it” by
either working their own fields or their own businesses!
I go based on the scripture that it is not meet that “one man should possess above another” for this reason the world lieth in sin, and yes, if just “one or two or a conspiracy of wicked kingmen” control the wealth of world, wars are “unavoidable” for they are “too small” to keep everyone under control, so they use “military and police” to suppress the masses of mankind and use the fear of death that goes along with that!
Totally agree with A Hispanic. Why do Hollywood types keep celebrating dictators? Chavez is systematically dismantling civil society in Venezuela, and the sooner we stand up to him the better.
Batista was a right wing dictator, you did not complaint. Castro is a left wing dictator, I dont like him, but you do not complaint. Allende was a right wing dictator, you did not complain, Somoza was a right wing dictator you did not complaint, Chavez is a left wing dictator, I dont like him, but you complain, Bush was almost a right wing dictator but you did not complain, what the hell do you want? you want this:
History of U.S. Interventions in Latin America
Location Period Type of Force Comments on U.S. Role
Argentina 1890 Troops Buenos Aires interests protected
Chile 1891 Troops Marines clash with nationalist rebels
Haiti 1891 Troops Black workers revolt on U.S.-claimed Navassa Island defeated
Nicaragua 1894 Troops Month-long occupation of Bluefields
Panama 1895 Naval, troops Marines land in Colombian province
Nicaragua 1896 Troops Marines land in port of Corinto
Cuba 1898- Naval, troops Seized from Spain, U.S. still holds Navy base at Guantanamo
Puerto Rico 1898- Naval, troops Seized from Spain, occupation continues
Nicaragua 1898 Troops Marines land at port of San Juan del Sur
Nicaragua 1899 Troops Marines land at port of Bluefields
Honduras 1903 Troops Marines intervene in revolution
Dominican Republic 1903-04 Troops U.S. interests protected in Revolution
Cuba 1906-09 Troops Marines land in democratic election
Nicaragua 1907 Troops “Dollar Diplomacy” protectorate set up
Honduras 1907 Troops Marines land during war with Nicaragua
Panama 1908 Troops Marines intervene in election contest
Nicaragua 1910 Troops Marines land in Bluefields and Corinto
Honduras 1911 Troops U.S. interests protected in civil war
Cuba 1912 Troops U.S. interests protected in Havana
Panama 1912 Troops Marines land during heated election
Honduras 1912 Troops Marines protect U.S. economic interests
Nicaragua 1912-33 Troops, bombing 20-year occupation, fought guerrillas
Mexico 1913 Naval Americans evacuated during revolution
Dominican Republic 1914 Naval Fight with rebels over Santo Domingo
Mexico 1914-18 Naval, troops Series of interventions against nationalists
Haiti 1914-34 Troops, bombing 19-year occupation after revolts
Dominican Republic 1916-24 Troops 8-year Marine occupation
Cuba 1917-33 Troops Military occupation, economic protectorate
Panama 1918-20 Troops “Police duty” during unrest after elections
Honduras 1919 Troops Marines land during election campaign
Guatemala 1920 Troops 2-week intervention against unionists
Costa Rica 1921 Troops
Panama 1921 Troops
Honduras 1924-25 Troops Landed twice during election strife
Panama 1925 Troops Marines suppress general strike
El Salvador 1932 Naval Warships sent during Faribundo Marti revolt
Uruguay 1947 Nuclear threat Bombers deployed as show of strength
Puerto Rico 1950 Command operation Independence rebellion crushed in Ponce
Guatemala 1954-? Command operation, bombing, nuclear threat CIA directs exile invasion and coup d’Etat after newly elected government nationalizes unused U.S.’s United Fruit Company lands; bombers based in Nicaragua; long-term result: 200,000 murdered
Panama 1958 Troops Flag protests erupt into confrontation
Cuba 1961 Command operation CIA-directed exile invasion fails
Cuba 1962 Nuclear threat, naval Blockade during missile crisis; near-war with Soviet Union
Panama 1964 Troops Panamanians shot for urging canal’s return
Dominican Republic 1965-66 Troops, bombing Marines land during election campaign
Guatemala 1966-67 Command operation Green Berets intervene against rebels
Chile 1973 Command operation CIA-backed coup ousts democratically elected Marxist president
El Salvador 1981-92 Command operation, troops Advisors, overflights aid anti-rebel war, soldiers briefly involved in hostage clash; long-term result: 75,000 murdered and destruction of popular movement
Nicaragua 1981-90 Command operation, naval CIA directs exile (Contra) invasions, plants harbor mines against revolution; result: 50,000 murdered
Honduras 1982-90 Troops Maneuvers help build bases near borders
Grenada 1983-84 Troops, bombing Invasion four years after revolution
Bolivia 1987 Troops Army assists raids on cocaine region
Panama 1989 Troops, bombing Nationalist government ousted by 27,000 soldiers, leaders arrested, 2000+ killed
Haiti 1994-95 Troops, naval Blockade against military government; troops restore President Aristide to office three years after coup
Venezuela 2002 Command operation Failed coup attempt to remove left-populist president Hugo Chavez
Haiti 2004- Troops Removal of democratically elected President Aristide; troops occupy country
Sources:
Blum, William. Killing Hope: U.S. Military and CIA Interventionism Since World War II. Monroe, Maine: Common Courage Press, 1995.
Ege & Makhijani. “180 Landings by the U.S. Marine Corps” (History Division), Counterspy (July-Aug. 1982). Foreign Affairs Division, Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress.
Richard Grimmet, Instances of Use of Armed Forces Abroad, 1798-2001. CRS Report for Congress, 2002.
Grossman, Zoltan. Over a Century of U.S. Military Interventions. Self-published, revised Jan. 1, 1995.
Sklar, Holly. “Who’s Who: Invading ‘Our’ Hemisphere 1831-,” Z Magazine (Feb. 1990).
U.S. Congress, Committee on Foreign Affairs’ Report. Background Information on the Use of United States Armed Forces in Foreign Countries. Washington, D.C.: 91st Congress, 2nd Session, 1970.
Zinn, Howard. A People’s History of the United States. New York: Perennial Library, Harper & Row, 1980.
Also see Zoltan Grossman, From Wounded Knee to Iraq (A Chronology of U.S. Imperialism)
http://www2.truman.edu/~marc/resources/interventions.html
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Batista and Allende were over 20 years ago and nobody in hollywood made a movie condoning there actions. If they did we would complain. Also past US actions doesnt justify a dictator like Chavez. Thats like saying Hitler was justified for what he did because of WWI.
HAHAHAHAHA you sir, are an idiot. Allende was a socialist, I think you meant Pinochet.
Allende wasn’t a dictator.
Indeed he was a “socialist that was elected by the people” and the CIA ousted him!
Excellent post. It truly captures the well-documented imperialist activities of America which has contributed much to its dominant stature in the world today. The bottom line reality many of you fail to address is the fact that many of the socialist countries you point to as a reference to how socialism is good for society wouldn’t even exist if a powerful America failed to exist. France, Germany, Britain, and yes, even Australia would have been decimated within the past 75 years by either Japan, Germany, or the Soviet Union. America took the passive route along with the league of Nations post WW1 which is why it was so incapable of responding to the Nazi threat earlier than 1941 a good several years after the war had started. And please spare me the remarks about Pearl Harbor being the entry point since American military product was well underway beforehand in response to the perceived threat. The bottom line is this: For all your complaints about the evils of capitalism and American hegemony you all consistently fail to consider what type of America (if any) would exist if the nation took your direction. You can theorize all day long, the bottom line is your relative safe and prosperous in a superpower status. And if you think Chavez’s Venezuela is such a wonderful place to live – by all means relocate! It won’t take long till you realize how far the freedoms of speech and press have eroded and what that means for freedom of thought and expression which are fundamental to any free society.
The United States of America has many shortcomings and egregious violations of the standards by which we espouse. However, it should also be noted that those who criticize this great Country are nowhere near being worthy to condemn the actions of our Country while being violators of the same and even worse things themselves. Therefore, I for one wouldn’t give a drop of piss for the criticisms of Chavez, Fidel, Evo, Ahmedenijad, or any other forked tongue snake against my country. Each one of these vipers have major issues facing their country THE LEAST OF WHICH is the influence of the United States whom many or direct and indirect beneficiaries of our Treasury. All you naive people who constantly chomp at the bit for all the negative and conspiratorial lies about America Oliver Stone defecates onto film only serve to obfuscate the fact that these leaders conveniently use this false image of the United States to scape goat their own leadership failures.
Never receive criticism from a sworn enemy. If you do, you only have yourself to blame when in the end he stands over your corpse claiming victory. America has much to be proud of while yet we have much to set right in terms of making the rich and powerful accountable to the law which we elect our representatives to establish.
BRAVO JAMES!WELL WRITTEN!I AGREE COMPLETELY
Absolutely!!! I agree. I am posting here what I replied to one of our socialism defenders. And may I ALSO point out two things, one all of these countries that so hate us, as you so well put do greatly benefit from our dollars, and Cuba, Venezuela, China, Nicaragua, Ecuador, etc… are NOT SOCIALISTS THEY ARE COMMUNISTS.
I am a Cuban American, I was born in Cuba and the notion of everyone being equal is a farce. Have you seen the way Raul Castro or Chavez, or Fidel live, their clothing? That’s not what the people have, the people lack the bare necessities of life.
Here in this “wicked United States of America” EVERYONE HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SUCCEED!!!! EVERYONE HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK, AND EXPRESS THEIR OPINION. If you socialism lovers, (and I may add you have no idea what the hell you are talking about) would live in a country like Cuba, like USSR was, like China, like Venezuela now, you would not be able to write all the stupidity you are writing, first because you would not have a computer, and second if you did, it would be monitored and sensored, and you could go to jail. I know what it is to have a ration book and get one pair of shoes a year, and when your turn comes up they ran out. I know what it is to go to sleep with the only thing to eat was a piece of old bread and a glass of sugar water. And I may add I know what it is to have your father and your mother taken to farms to do hard labor simply because they wanted to leave the country.
The system in the US may not be perfect, but as bad as it is, EVERYONE WANTS TO COME HERE, I don’t see people taking rafts to go to Cuba, or jumping fences to get into Venezuela.
Cuba was a flourishing country, today if you are one of the equals, el pueblo, the hospitals do not have sheets for you, there is no coffee, no salt, etc… IT DOES NOT MATTER WHAT I TELL YOU, YOU WON’T BELIEVE ME. IT HAS TO BE SUFFERED. THOUSANDS HAVE DIED TO FIGHT IT, AND THOUSANDS ARE IN JAILS FOR NOT AGREEING WITH IT, OR FOR BUYING A POUND OF COFFEE OR MEAT TO FEED THEIR KIDS IN THE BLACK MARKET.
Oliver Stone is sooo stupid, saying that he just found nations that just want to manage their own resources. What a joke, they want to steal everything from the people, so they can enjoy it themselves like Castro has done. And by the way, my family was a working family, they were not rich. But in hindsight we were millionaires and we thought Castro was bringing “CHANGE” AND EQUALITY.
pompous fucking ass…. nobody has a right to criticize u huh? how about thousands of Iraqui widows? or millions of other widows…
please, the next time u think ur so great because of WWII or any other war go suck on a dick
redneck scum
http://www.deepblacklies.co.uk/deep_black_1_2.htm
James! Well written. I am not good at composition.
To put things in perspective……
The unsanitized version of US history is pretty dire. One of the things however that makes this country like no other is the ” Freedom of Information Act ” and free speech. No other country has such access to documentation of its war crimes. Kudos for USA
In just one of many examples: In recent history US could compete with the Nazis for a horrific crime against humanity ” Project Phoenix Vietnam ” was a program that was put in place to assasinate thousands of civilians, and it did. It targeted Mayors, Doctors, Teachers, Tax collectors etc. Anyone that had influence and was sympathetic to the North or VC. Many thousand were assasinated not for their belief but for the bounty the US gave. The US program was no different than that of Poll Pot of the Khemere Rouge in Cambodia. My Lai got the press but was a slight nothing by comparison. There were many My Lai’s. My point is there are no good guys. Morality is violated by all humans, no matter what country or what political system.Do you think the so called bad guys think they are the “bad guys” ? yeeeaaa were the bad guys
I hope our wisdom will grow with our power, and teach us, that the less we use our power the greater it will be.
Thomas Jefferson
Sorry Tom it didn’t happen.
Mr. Alcantara,
WHO exactly is the “you” that you(David Alcantara) keep referring to as “complaining” or “not complaining”? And HOW exactly do YOU(David Alcantara) KNOW that this “you” did or did not “complain”, speak up, support, oppose, or take any type of action with or without the situations listed? THIS(defining and qualification of your points, or their “meat”) is vital to your(David Alcantara’s) statements, and the lack of THIS(see above) points to the non-existance of THIS in the real world.
Based upon THAT(lack of qualifying points to your statements), YOU(David Alcantara) can in reality only be arguing with/angry at an abstract in YOUR(David Alcantara’s) imagination, NOT with concrete and qualifiable persons or facts. Therefor the “you” that YOU(David Alcantara)are so bravely wagging YOUR(David Alcantara’s) finger at is YOU………DAVID ALCANTARA.
And THAT, Mr. Alcantara, is rediculous (but typical from a person that tends to argue for Senior Chavez and his likes).
It’s probably also your hearts desire that one plus one will some wonderful day equal three (and four, or five, etc. Anything but two). Good luck with that.
Main Lesson: Propping up a long list of sources no matter how true or false, doesn’t hide a shoddy foundation.
The first place to start is here at home…Obama is doing the same thing here at home, and the populous better get mobilized and stop this NOW, or else we will all be explaining to our greandchildren how we allowed freedom to slip from our fingertips by doing nothing.
yeah, I heard he’s taking NASCAR away….Calm down already
You know, that’s exactly what Venezuelans said. Nah, what happened in Cuba won’t happen here. And history has told otherwise.
DON’T BE SO COMPLACENT AMERICANS.
weirdo
nascar. fitting that’s your name, you ignorant bastard. YOu can’t even spell grandchildren.
Oh. Somebody thinks in that cowntry? Congratulations. You are one of the piece part of the USA people than can see behind the TV News, and the Republican discourses. You heve hope yet.
Sorry for my poor english.
Cristiano Freitas Cezar
Silvânia-Goiás-Brasil
Why? MONEY, CELEBRITY, TO BE DIFFERENT NO MATTER WHAT. Sorry Oliver but you did a great job with other stories, this one is a shame!
How do you propose to stand up to him, please explain!
seems like Stone’s career could use a little of the old magic from his early days, not another turgid lefty alternate reality…although we’ll probably end up like Venezeula in 20 years so he could market pic as a peek into our future
The best way to fix this is to absolutely shunning and boycotting everything that Stone produces from now on. The biggest thing that these fools understand is the lack of funding that we, the people, can withhold from their portfolio.
this guy is a train wreck. how can you support the suppression of freedom of speech? i.e. closing radio stations (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/08/02/world/main5205473.shtml)
Well, when there is a lot of money in the neighborhood people don’t care anymore about nothing anymore. If their pockets are full of money, they don’t think more about the rest of the society and what are consequences of having that money in the pocket, or even worst, where does that money come from? Well, it is a shame for the world that the most of the people is like that. And the history repeats, again and again, just because of that kind of people.
“Those who trade freedom for security deserve neither and will loose both” – Benjamin Franklin
IN 1738 FRANKLIN SAID “Sell not virtue to purchase wealth, nor Liberty to purchase power.”
ALTHOUGH THIS SAYING HAS APPEARED IN MANY PARAPHRASED FORMS…
APPLAUSE!!!
THE GOVERNMENT THAT IS BIG ENOUGH TO GIVE YOU EVERYTHING, IS BIG ENOUGH TO TAKE EVERYTHING FROM YOU. THOMAS JEFFERSON
People are misinformed. The so-called examples of where socialism has worked are European states which have high unemployment rates, low productivity margins, and even lower rates of technological contributions. The facts are clear; capitalism works when it remains capitalism. Enough with the propaganda against nominal capitalistic nations which violate the basic tenants of the system – the least of which not being accountability. Furthermore, capitalism should be understood as an advanced market system which depends on an educated populace. When education is diminished as it has in the United States, its no wonder why many of the technical jobs go overseas! ANYONE Who has actually gone to an American University knows that nearly every engineering course is filled mainly by foreigners with broken English. Our infrastructure crumbles because technology and cost are becoming polarizing forces due to the lack of sufficiently educated Americans available to move our country forward.
You cannot tell me American’s are so smart and well educated when nearly 1/10 now couldn’t sufficiently read and plan to address their obligations as it related to their mortgage. Calculating ARMs and future budgets is hardly rocket science. Anyone with a 12th grade education should be sufficiently prepared for this task. The truth of the matter is that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are the true culprits in the mortgage scandal. It was through their policies that unqualified loans were approved and ultimately packaged and sold to Wall St. These two Government Sponsored Entities (GSE’s) are the gatekeepers of our money as it relates to FHA and other mortgage policies which should have prevented the MBS/Derivative meltdown. Another example of government inaction – how ineffective government can be in safe-guarding our interests.
Stop allowing Hollywood leftists and the other malcontents from perverting the image of your nation and your obligations to carry your own weight. A democracy is truly a participatory sport – and the players should come prepared with some degree of education. Stop giving up your rights and freedoms for financial security – it will not work!
“Those who trade freedom for security deserve neither and will loose both” – Benjamin Franklin
Enough already; so what.
“Mr Stone will personally premiere the film . . .” Oy guvalt. What happened to this site?
I think its deceiving to lump Hugo Chavez in with a lot of the other leaders in this documentary. Oliver Stone is obviously clueless on all the civil liberties Hugo Chavez is destroying, such as a free and independent press, necessary for a free society. Not to mention the shenanigans that went on with the last election. Same with people glorifying the Castro regime. Its crazy to praise these guys as champions of the people. Idiotic at best.
Independent press? Who needs dependent money of interested enterprises? Oh, wake up! Theres is no independent press in anywhere. No one will kick the ass of your financial suport. Of the big enterprises, big corporations.
Record this words: There is no free press, even in USA, enenv Europe, Even here, in Brasil, even Cuba. Nowhere.
CORRECT AS USUAL, I have found it next to impossible to publish my findings about the “kings of freemasonry” and the “EVIL PIRATE OATH” that they swear, for there is “no free press” who will print it, that is why I had to go to the internet to publish my message!
THE KINGS CONTROL THE “EXECUTIVE BRANCH OF THE US GOVERNMENT” AND MR MACKEY WRITES THAT “JOHN QUINCY ADAMS” TRIED TO GET FREEMASONRY OUT OF THAT BRANCH BUT FAILED TO DO SO BY STARTING AN “ANTI MASONIC PARTY” WHICH WAS “NOT NAME LIKE THAT” BUT INSTEAD WAS CALLED THE PARTY FOR PUBLIC TRUTH AND VIRTUE!
THEREFORE “FREEMASONRY HAS MONOPOLIZED POWER” IN THAT BRANCH AND “INSIDE THE FRATERNITY” WRITES THAT AT LEAST 85 % OF THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH HAVE BEEN MASONS UNDER TEXAS PRESIDENTS, AND ONE PRESIDENT FROM TEXAS HAS PUT IN 100% MASONS, THAT THIS IS NOT “DIVERSITY” FROM A “RELIGIOUS OR CULTURAL STANDPOINT” SHOULD BE OBVIOUS, AND IT WILL NOT WORK TO ARGUE THAT THESE MASONS MAY HAVE HAD DIFFERENT RELIGIOUS PERSPECTIVES FOR ONE THING ALL MASONS AGREE ON AND IT IS TIME SOMEONE POINTS THIS OUT BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT:
WE ARE “BABYLON” AND THERE IS “NONE ELSE”!
TO CLAIM THAT THE “PRESS IS FREE AND INDEPENDENT” WHILE THEY ARE “ECONOMICALLY TIED” TO ONE “EVIL KINGMAN FRATERNITY” MAKES ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE, JUST LIKE YOU SAID, WHY WOULD THEY “BITE THE HAND THAT FEEDS THEM”, INSANE, LOCO, DOES NOT MAKE SENSE, THEREFORE EVEN “WORLDNEWS.COM” HAS NOT YET PUBLISHED MY ARTICLE CALLED:
THE OPIUM WARS, ANOTHER DEFINING MOMENT IN KINGMAN HISTORY AND MAY NOT BE ABLE TO DO SO, BECAUSE EVIL KINGS AGAIN, TRY TO RETARD PROGRESS AND KEEP THEIR “EVIL HISTORY UNDER WRAPS” SO THAT NO ONE WILL “SUSPECT WHAT IS NOT PROPER TO BE IMITATED”!
Stop lying, AH. It doesn’t support your argument.
“It’ the first time in Latin American history, except for Castro, that he’s lead an entire system away from the United States economic controls…”
Bravo! And it’s turned out so well for Cuba, Cubans and their economy! Grand show, Comrade Stone, old bean. Grand show, indeed.
Without support from communist Russia and the ability to shed overpopulation into the US and other countries Cubu would be just another poverty stricken island economy. Jailing dissenters expelling overpopulation and foreign support are all that holds Cuba together as a nation.
A very good point which I can get behind, Unbe (I hope you don’t mind I call you Unbe). Jail the dissenters! Cast out the surplus population! Lean on the crutch of foreign aid! Dominate! Dominate! Dominate! Dominate all the way to prosperity!
Where is this Cubu, anyway, and why isn’t Castro taking notes?
You should move to Cuba or to Venezuela, you would be happy there!
I think Oliver Stone should consider himself lucky that he lives in a country where one is allowed to produce a critical documentary.
From the Harvard Political Review: In March 2005, Chavez increased the penalties for the “desecato,” or disrespect laws in which criticizing the president is punished with 40 months imprisonment.
Is this what Mr. Stone would prefer?
I disagree with “Hispanic” because Stone drives a Lexus.
I’m sure this will be as factually accurate as JFK.
Inacio Lula de Silva wants America to treat Brazil as equals? Sure. When Brazil is equal to America, we will!
Josef Stalin and Mao Tse-tung would be proud. Oliver Stone has made a hagiography of communist thugs that could have come straight from Soyuzkino. Does Oliver Stone show the people who came in “with their own ideas” in Cuba and were thrown in prison? Does Oliver Stone talk to the Venezuelan ranchers whose land was dispossessed, plunging the nation into a food crisis? Does Oliver Stone trace the illicit narcotics Chavez ships through Honduras to fund the FARC’s terrorist brigade? After Cristina Kirchner talks about how non-elites are governing, does Stone ask her what separates her election from Isabel Peron, who only won the presidency by being the wife of a president?
And where is Alvaro Uribe? His country’s economy is booming, and violence is plunging – the very opposite of the crumbling, crime-ridden Venezuela?
If Oliver Stone was a Venezuelan who made a film about how misunderstood and beneficent George W. Bush was, he’d be thrown in a prison cell with no trial – let alone any tolerance for his views. He should be ashamed of himself, but I know he’s not.
Name. I couldn’t agree more with you! Hugo Chavez is destroying the Veneuelan society and trying to expand his “empire” (think of Equador, Bolivia, Nicaragua) to destroy the remaining democracies in Latin America.
Don’t forget Honduras. Chavez has been pulling the strings on that puppet Zelaya, encouraging him to break the Honduran constitution to run in perpetuity as Chavez will do. Why? Because Honduras is an important center for cocaine smuggling. Venezuela flies drugs into Honduras on military planes, and Honduras sets it on the overland route through Mexico. (Yes, those are the same drugs that are fueling the horrific killings in Juarez and other Mexican cities.)
And what does our new enlightened government do when a budding socialist caudillo attempts to destory his country’s constitution? We throw our full support behind the dictator-to-be, joining in the chorus of condemnation led by choirmaster Chavez! When all is said and done, Stone’s bald-faced propaganda piece is most revealing of our own Leftist elite’s warped admiratiohn of these socialist tyrants and their not-so-secret desire that America had its own strongman to lead a “Bolivarian revolution.”
I am an American and currently in Brazil. Brazil is a very important country and as its economy grows so will its prestige. America should start treating Brazil as an equal or risk isolating the new hegemon of South America.
America’s GDP in 2008: $14.2 trillion
Brazil’s GDP in 2008: $1.6 trillion
Again, when Brazil is America’s equal, we will treat them as such. But they aren’t.
And please, for the good of America, keep your dumb self in Brazil.
Name, Thanks God you are not the majority in the US.
What you are saying is because the is more money in USA everybody else should just kneel to you?
My guess is that when you see Bill Gates you kneel down and kiss his feet, right? Because I am pretty sure he has way more money than you.
I am from Venezuela. I now live in the US and I am very grateful of this country, his people and the opportunities it has giving me so please stop making those comments which only tarnish the US image in other countries.
Violence is alive and well in Colombia. In March of 2009 Colombia became number one in the world for refugees fleeing their homes because of violence … NUMBER ONE!
Name, I agree with your post except the first sentence.
Why wouldn’t you treat anybody different based on their nationality?
It is a very racist comment to make especially coming from a person whose country has been built through the sweat of many immigrants who came to the US in search of a new life.
this is the crux of the problem:
Inacio Lula de Silva wants America to treat Brazil as equals? Sure. When Brazil is equal to America, we will!
what is needed is for people lkike you to suffer, suffer badly, so you learn something which most people have (except politicians, rednecks, drug warriors etc)
DECENCY
It makes no sense what you are saying, for you speak the words of powerful thugs, and say that we cannot treat people as equals until they become equal, then I must challenge you to “make them your equals” instead of robbing them blind, and then you will be able to “communicate with them as equals” instead of “treating them like your inferiors”!
TO “STEAL THE WEALTH OF THE WORLD” AND THEN SAY:
BECAUSE YOU ARE POOR, BECAUSE WE MADE YOU POOR, WE WILL NOW NOT COMMUNICATE WITH YOU ON AN EQUAL BASIS, RESULTS IN MY RESPONSE:
BECAUSE YOU HAVE ROBBED ME, AND THE WHOLE WORLD, I MUST NOW “SAFEGUARD THE FUNDS OF THIS EVIL ORDER OF WICKED KINGS”,
SO THAT POOR PEOPLE NO LONGER BECOME YOUR PREY, SO THAT EVIL PEOPLE WILL NO LONGER BE ABLE TO EITHER JOIN YOUR EVIL FRATERNITY OF WICKED KINGS TO OBTAIN POWER AND SO THAT THERE WILL BE NO MORE EVIL INDUSTRIALISTS IN THE UNITED STATES THAT WILL PROMOTE TO POWER WICKED FASCIST DICTATORSHIPS IN OTHER NATIONS LIKE IN THE COUNTRY OF GERMANY, CLEARLY MR POWERFUL, if you want to communicate with Mr SILVA on an equal level, then “MAKE HIM YOUR EQUAL”, and the world will be “more economically secure” for the “wealth distribution” in the world will be more equitable, for right now the “wicked rich” have plundered this world, and that is why they have “sponsored communism and fascism” because they “want to cloud the real issues” the real issue is not if
Peasants, workers or kings control the world, the real issue is the “abuse of power” and that is what all social and economic groups are “capable of” if given the “crack at it”, therefore until mankind learns to “control its own desires for power” and learns to exercise power in such a way that it does not “negatively affect” any section of society, there will be those who are “advantaged” by their “government” and others who are disadvantaged by them, either “openly or secretly” it makes no difference to the person who has been “denied their rights to either life, liberty or pursuit of happiness”!
Therefore remember that the King of Kings, treated all men as equals, he even “was merciful to those who were outcast because of either poverty or sickness” and discriminated against no one, even the “syrophenician woman” that begged a favor from him and humbled herself claiming to be a “dog” or a lap dog or a puppy that eats crumbs from the table of their masters, he threw a crumb of healing for she “knew her position” and used to gain divine favor, but you do not know your “position of power” and you have obtained this power only “by robbing the world”, therefore I now “challenge you to view things” from a “more universal perspective” and realize that “not all things” are known, and many things have been kept a secret from the world by those who have “spoiled this planet” and therefore until you know the “whole truth” and nothing but the truth I would encourage you to “withhold judgement”, lest you also shall be judged by knowledge that is “too high for thee”!
Sincerely
John Adams Weaver
Oliver Stoned is a tool. He is a rich freak that hugs baby killers and terrorist sympathizers, AKA Hizbullah,Hamas. He will make a movie about how “Great” Chavez is, why not investigate how his great friend supports the Sudanese and the child slavery rings in Darfur. And he calls himself a Buddhist, get out of here and take your propaganda trash with you Mr. Stone.
As someone else who has never seen this but has a vehement and uninformed opinion to blast out, I think this is documentary is great, I love OS’s movies and I think AH is full of crap. And you know what, Ollie probably IS very glad that he’s in this country and can make leftist propaganda films, and your point is? At least Stone has the balls to stay in this country that he hates and make critical films about it, he didn’t run away like so many Cubans who’ve washed up on these shores, only to then hijack our politics. Why don’t you all go back to your own country if it’s so great?
Why don’t you take your commie self to Cuba or Venezuela if they’re so great?
Oliver Stone, who has given the world every kind of anti-American propaganda, including a fictional fantastical account of JFK’s murder – blaming the U.S. government no less – shleps down to South America and Cuba to interview grandfatherly dictators so that he can convince his audience that they are harmless little fuzzballs who only want equality and justice. What could possibly go wrong? We already know that Stone movie will be well received in France, Hollywood, Berkeley, San Fran, Moscow and Tehran. The only question is how many awards will Stone receive? My guess is that he will get his mug on the cover of Time Magazine by November and Rolling Stone by December. What a guy!!
Where is Alvaro Uribe and Alan Garcia?
Can this be called a documentary when you are only giving one side of the story?
How can Mr. Stone be so naive?
It’s obvious that in his tour throughout the region from presidential palace to presidential palace, Mr. Stone didn’t get a clue of what’s going on in Latin America.
As a PR campaign, isn’t that bad though.
Do you want to know why? He wanted to go to Colombia ONLY for the release of the little Emmanuel (Clara Roja’s son – Clara Rojas was kidnapped with Ingrid Betancourt), and make it look like Hugo Chavez made it possible. What he didn’t know is that the Colombian Intelligence had already located the boy and FARC didn’t even know where he was, as they couldn’t feed him, and gave it to a poor couple many years ago.
That is WHY he didn’t get other perspectives like the Colombian or Peruvian… pretty smart, uh?
I’ll wait to see the condensed “Twitter” version – which is something like this: “George W Bush still sucks, Castro is great, Chavez is even greater and I am still an American hater.”
So I guess he’ll sensationalize the hell out of this one too, right?
Whether you like Stone, Chavez, CNN or whoever, I don’t see how this can be seen as anything but propaganda. It’s ridiculous.
What a bunch of brainwashed flag-waving morons you people are. Way to prove the very point of this movie, hating a bunch of hugely popular democratically-elected presidents because the US media told you to. I can’t believe a bunch of Glenn Beck fans read DHD.
South America was controlled by genocidal extreme-right maniacs for the entire 20th century who literally murdered millions of poor people to keep the few families who controlled the region in charge. They brutalized, raped and pillaged to keep the peasants who lived in unthinkable poverty in line.
I think Chavez is a bumbling stooge and I don’t agree with him shutting down media outlets, but do you know WHY he oversteps his boundaries sometimes? Because the media in Venezuela except for 1 government TV and radio station are owned by people who literally financed violent coups against him several times and spread outrageous lies about him hourly to foment revolution. That doesn’t make his actions right, but it does contextualize them. Educate yourself on these issues before you start spewing bile about them.
We need to be educated?
The Chavez regime controls four television stations directly, and most private channels have been bullied into presenting only what the state-run news agencies allow lest they be shut down. Venevision, formerly anti-Chavez, completely reversed its editorial line in fear of a shutdown like RCTV was or Globovision soon will be. (Globovision is the same channel that Chavistas bombed with tear gas last month.) How did they “foment revolution”? They did not show pro-Chavez rallies in 2002. Other horrible offenses include showing the aftermath of earthquakes before the state-owned stations got to the site to stage footage. RCTV would air telenovelas instead of the dictator’s blustery multi-hour speeches.
Laws have been passed that force all stations to air Chavez’s propaganda tirades whenever he decrees. So would you like to reiterate how persecuted Chavez has been by the Venezuelan media? Or maybe you can do the intelligent thing and admit it’s actually the other way around?
I will start with your last sentence: “Educate yourself on these issues before you start spewing bile about them”.
Why does Hugo Chavez support FARC?
Do you know how many people FARC has killed?
I really would like to know your opinion, about this… because you can defend Hugo Chavez to death, but one thing you cannot deny is that he is a violent person.
If you are a political leader, if you are educated, you know you do not attack others for thinking different than you.
Don’t you think he is just adding more violence to everything? Where is he going with all this?
It is very sad for me to read comments from the other side of the coin with such a close perspective.
It is very sad for me to believe that there is people out there who think that Hugo Chavez is really contributing something to humanity. “EL FIN NO JUSTIFICA LOS MEDIOS”
Just to educate you about Venezuela’s media, as you seem to be greatly misinformed: there are 3 government TV channels (TVES, VTV and Telesur); then, there are all regional channels (all public and supportive of Chavez), there are only two private channels: Venevision that tries to keep a very shaky balanced view and there is Globovision, the only channel left that criticizes Chavez. The same ratio could be seen in radios (now he shut 34 radio stations down) and newspapers will be going through the same governmental purge. The owners of these private media actually financed Chavez campaign back in 1997. There has been only one coup against Chavez in 2003, and it certainly was the product of many political and social factors, not of media owners financing it. To put the issue into context: The problem in Venezuela is that Chavez governs through the media, he “encadena” all transmissions at least 12 hours a week, during those “cadenas” he gives direct orders to ministers, judges, etc. He uses public media as political parties, so it is only natural that dissenting medias react by overstepping their natural role to play the role of the opposition. The only way to reach a more or less balanced view of what is really going on is to read, listen and watch both government and private medias, which, as a proud Venezuelan, I am saddened to see very few people bothers to do, starting by our own president and, it seems, yourself.
This may well be my last comment on this particular subject but it is clearly an important topic, as to what “political legitimacy is” and how to define it!
Now there is no question that Hugo Chavez and some other south american “dictators” as they are now called by the political right here in the US are indeed “popularly elected”!
Therefore we “will have to put up with them for now” whether we like it or not!
Also “it is wrong to believe that somehow it is a christian thing” to “support wicked fascist dictatorships” that brutalize the poor in nations and then claim that is what “GOD WANTS FOR US TO DO” for Calvinism claims that only the “rich and powerful” deserve to live and all other people are “scum” that deserves to die, that is the “philosophy” of survival of the fittest or that God favors the “brutal the violent and the selfish” that just take everything they can whenever they can! I do not “subscribe to this philosophy” by the way even though it has been “popularized” by people like “CHARLES DARWIN” who was a “scottish rite mason” again and who put this “evil philosophy” into the PUBLIC REALM, it is again clearly evil for it is a “natural philosophy” and all natural philosophies are by their nature “EVIL” for the natural man is an enemy to God and all “natural philosophies” of natural men, must by their nature be evil!
Only godly men, with personal connections to the divine center, can at any time come up with solutions that are perfectly just and honest!
Human beings are simply too “self-asorbed” to come up with “anything good” on their own!
Therefore a “society that is made up of communist thugs” did not work, a society made up of fascist dictators and murdered Jewish minorities had to fail, and a society that is made of people who rape, murder and kill the poor will ultimately fall, all the wrong forms of government will eventually fail while a “government run by honest men” people who put the welfare of all above their own selfish ambition, that is the wave of the future, whether we like to admit or not!
For the scripture clearly states that those who “take of the wealth of this world” and do not distribute based on the law of God to the poor and the needy among men, shall find themselves in hell being in torment, that is the law, and if you violate it, it will backfire on you every single time!
Oliver is pretty cynical, in private, when he talks about Chavez. At least he was with me when we last spoke. He has obviously been paid to do this. Millions. In cash. Overseas. There’s no other possible explanation for this. Just like Danny Glover, who got 18 million dollars from Chavez to make a movie he never made. Stone got his part of the true color of the revolution… Green. Oil money green.
Jonathan, Man ( if this is really you) I love your movie secuestro express. It was pretty cruel but it was great.
I think you are completely right. Mr. Stone just made this movie for a few millions in exchange and controversy which he loves.
He is probably laughing at everybody in his Hollywood mansion…
Didn’t know so many neocons visited your site Nikki….
Judging a film based on it’s trailer is not much different from judging an actor from their headshot.
If we didn’thave Oliver the output of Hollywood would be even more insipid. At least he attempts to bring out the truth in a creative and honest way. May there be twenty more Oliver Stones in Hollywood but unfortunately the larger American society lacks the brain cells to absorb the content and therefore not enough box office will be generated to support their work.
The truth? or his truth? This is just vanity, a guy who wants to be different… let’s go down there or let’s move to a comunist country, where we could judge better.
But all I can say is that you have not been touched by this guy. The day you have Oliver Stone making a movie about someone supporting the Talibans and helping Osama Bin Laden’s ideals, like Chavez helps the FARC, you will tell me if you will not feel ofended.
Anyone interested in Chavez should watch this insane doc made by Irish filmmakers called The Revolution Will Not Be Televised. The first 5 minutes are boring but it gets unbelievably interesting soon after…
W
and also, “The War On Democracy” by John Pilger
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3739500579629840148#
While he was in Venezuela, Stone took time to praise the murderous FARC terrorists supported by Chavez as “heroic.” I can tell you as someone who is married to a Colombian, and been there many times, the Colombian people hate this filth that have torn apart their country for 40 years. Stone is a scumbag.
In response to your comment, it has only been the “American Influence” and “War Drug” that has kept beautiful Colombia torn apart,nothing else. As you know, foreign influence does not make a country but destroys it in many ways. Assuming you are educated on the topic, you know the Colombian situation is one of neo-capitalism and neo-imperialism.
I wonder why people like Oliver Stone and Sean Penn never actually MOVE (or, more importantly, their money) to Venezuela? Could it be that it’s much, much easier to be pro socialist when you don’t actually live under a socialist tyrannical government?
Chavez’s attacks on the press in his country are inexcusable. He’s trying to shut down any and all opposing voices and has removed term limits on the Presidency in his country. That is NOT freedom or Democracy. It’s a dictatorship.
Chavez’s attacks on the press in his country are inexcusable. He’s trying to shut down any and all opposing voices and has removed term limits on the Presidency in his country…
Aside from the facts that (A) the people VOTED on term limits via referendum; he didn’t impose them, and (B) we didn’t have term limits until after FDR in THIS country, so what kind of indictment is that…
Go watch the documentary linked just above, the come back, and you might have some idea of why he’s wary of the “media” in his country.
I think this proves Stone has taken his name to heart, He is obviously “stoned”.
I’m glad that Oliver Stone is standing for against the lies of the US establishment, that I see reflected on many ill informed posts. I can’t wait to see it. Long Live Hugo Chavez!
Dear Andrew,
Contextualize this!
Libs and the wacko minions… is there really enough stupid people who believe any of this…madness simply madness.
This is a benchside view of Oliver Stone, from his private booth in the stadium.
The truth lies in the eye of the beholder. I’ve there as well as the countries that fell down from the comunist block, and the socialist/comunist receipe does not work. the formula is simple, trade (money) is needed to suport a social group, and this countries have only oil and drugs to offer, that is how this goverments are supporting this nonsense. Once the source is finished it will be only pain left.
All this years, Chavez and company have not really helped their people. Perhaps if they insted invest on hypereducating the new generations as well as strengtening the infrastructure.
Since this generation is already lost, the question is what will happen with the incoming one if they are forced to keep the same understimulated level?
This video was the joke of the day. Oliver Stone is completely blind. I am from South America and Hugo Chavez is an embarrassment for us. He can talk (nonsense, by the way) and talk about democracy, but all his acts demonstrate his hunger for power. He is against USA’s interventionism, but he has been a nosy president who wants to get involved in all other countries’ issues and dictate his will.
His popularity is so low, and by contrast, his “enemies” (like the Colombian President Dr. Alvaro Uribe Velez) have the highest acceptance in their countries.
The guy has no ethics and I should stop talking about him, because it makes me SICK.
Oliver Stone should take a look at this webpage: http://www.nomaschavez.org/
Sorry to disspoint but Chavez popularity is anythign but “LOW.” In any case, he has proven despite his obvious flaws to have done more for Venezuela than the previous administration.
And you don’t think this country (USA) closes radio stations?? You naive fool. But at least for Venezuela it is for legal and honorable reasons (licenses expire, illegal slander) rather than just pure political and money reasons in the US. I mean how fair and democratic is it that there is a monopoly of our airwaves here in the US by the Clear Channel corporation (which now goes by a different name) by virtue of our airwaves being sold off under Clinton?? How fair and democratic is it that only a handlful of media corporations like CBS and Disney own most of the radio, tv, and print news media in the US??
Exactly!
I lived in Cuba and in Venezuela. I saw how two great countries went into the sewer of communism. Step by step liberties were taken away just as ours are being taken away by an egomaniac as Obama and those who finance him secretly. I saw families despair when their husbands or sons disappeared after publicly criticizing the “Leader”.
Now here, the left is attacking freedom in the media and clamping down of all forms of communication under the pretext of national security. With the help of the pseudo-intellects in the media, propaganda becomes the truth of the ignorant.
God help us.
Charles
I think Obama is “demonized” by the radical right! I am in no way a “fan of Obama” because I have voted for the LDS Senator, who was a republican, nevertheless I do not feel that he is connected to “any secret society” and believe me I have done “lots of research” on the matter, it is mostly lots of little donations that have “made Obama president” and that is “legitimate and moral”!
Therefore while indeed there are “wicked conspiracies” in the world and I have mentioned the “masonic conspiracy” for one, I do not believe nor have I any evidence to connect the currrent president to any of these, even though I have digged through all the dirt I could find, and unless you can “prove to me” that he has “sponsors” besides Retzko that gave him a “special deal” on his house, I cannot be “persuaded otherwise”!
Also as far as “Hugo Chavez” is concerned he is “still quite popular” among the poor people of his nation because he “officially champions their cause” and while I agree he does indeed “reduce freedom” for the rich class of working oppressors in Venezuela, he may actually increase freedom for some poor by allowing them to “survive for another day”, and in that regard he is “doing what he ought to do” and no one can tell me that somehow it is the “christian and honest thing” to “protect the wicked rich” while oppressing the honest or even the evil poor who desire to vote themselves the riches of others instead of going to “nonexistent jobs” that were “destroyed by the greed of the evil rich” which exist in all nations under GOD, not saying that “rich people do not exist” that are “honest in heart” only that they are “most likely a small minority” among those who have obtained the “wealth of this world”!
Most of the people who have become wealthy in this world, HAVE DONE SO ON THE BACKS OF THE POOR, AND HAVE THEN “BLAMED THE POOR” FOR BEING SLOTHFUL, AFTER THEY HAVE TAKEN THEIR LAND BY FORCE, FORCED FROM THEIR PROPERTY WITH “MILITARY POWER” AND DEPRIVED THEM FORCEFULLY OF THEIR RIGHTS TO WORK, AND THEIR RIGHTS TO OWN LAND AND THEN GET THIS:
HAVE MURDERED THEM IF THEY ISSUED SO MUCH AS A PROTEST ABOUT THE ILLEGAL PROCEEDINGS OF RICH THUGS WHO CLAIM THEY CAN DO NO WRONG,AND I NOW INDICT THE “ANCIENT SCOTTISH RITE” AS THE CHIEF TRESPASSER OF UNIVERSAL LAW IN THAT REGARD!
If karma works and the american right of free speech is used. Then hopefully a lot of tomatoes will be thrown at the premier. This is Oliver Stone trying to get his name out in the public by creating a controversy. You know what they say; “any publicity is good publicity”. I hope, no I know he isn’t going to make a dime. He is only going to make $9.00, and that will come from Jane Fonda.
hmmm… tomatoes? what a great idea you have given me!
Viva Hugo Chavez!! Viva la Revolucion Cubana!! Viva la libertad, igualdad y fraternidad!! All of you are saying that Oliver does not know shit about latin america but the true is that all of you are a bunch of retards!! You dont know the reality of these countries!! You dont even know where is the US in a worldmap!!
I’ll give you an example of how the US..er.. Venezuelan media illegally slandered about Chavez. My friend was present at a ceremony where Chavez presented someone with a rose. Within 24 hours, one of the main tv stations had used footage of that exact ceremony to photoshop a picture of a gun to replace the rose!! Also during the coup vs Chavez when there were daily demonstrations by thousands if not millions of Venezuelans, the stations pieced footage together to make it look like the anti-coup pro-Chavez supporters were firing on a crowd of anti-Chavez people when the raw footage showed that that was NOT the case at all! I think that may have been in “The Revolution will not be Televised” movie. By the way, the only “hispanics” on here opposing Chavez are white Venezuelans who was mad that they couldn’t make big bucks anymore by helping the US oil and other corporations steal resources out of their country anymore. These people are sellouts and traitors!! Or, giving them the benefit of the doubt, they are middleclass people who believed the US=funded media lies. Either way, they do NOT represent the opinions of the majority of Venezuelans who have fairly elected and reelected (even with Jimmy Carter and other outside bodies monitoring) their president.
Oh, Jimmy Carter is the bellwether of democracy? The same Jimmy Carter who thinks we should all be friends with Hamas and Hezbollah as they work to rid the world of the Zionist scourge? I wonder if it was Jimmy Carter who gave Chavez all those tips on demonizing Jews and inciting anti-Semitic violence.
And as for stealing resources, I guess it’s bad when American companies steal for themselves, but it’s okay when Chavez’s bureaucratic cronies and yes men do it? The point will be moot soon, though, as PDVSA is now run by Chavez’s sycophants, not people who know how to run an oil company. Between failing to maintain their infrastructure and alienating foreign producers who can do the exploration and development of oil fields, the Chavistas have so mismanaged their oil business that there won’t be much to steal in a few years, and under Chavez, their economy can’t rely on anything else now.
I think Andrew is right on. I’m no fan of Chávez, but the talking heads on U.S. TV declaring him to be more dangerous than bin Laden, I think is ludicrous and itself dangerous. I’d be interested to see the film because I think Stone is illustrating a larger interesting trend in the region, as Kirschner elaborates. To fixate on one country’s president (and pretend that the U.S.’s influence and involvement in the region has been ever-benevolent) is to miss the point completely.
P.S. Power corrupts
You write a post demonizing the U.S. media’s portrayal of Hugo Chavez, then you end with “P.S. Power corrupts”?
You would do well to remember the whole phrase from Lord Acton, especially in context of Hugo Chavez’s unchecked, totalitatiran power: Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
I do not like the fact that “censorship exists” anywhere, there are libels being printed, which sometimes forces a government to “crack down” on their opposition, nevertheless the “liberty to print libel” is such a “valuable commodity” that even though the lies that are printed are pretty damaging it is “often even more damaging to the country” to destroy libelous presses and that was the “reason for the murder of two prophets” in the 19th century, PEOPLE WILL NOT ALWAYS AGREE, that it is libel what is printed and what may seem like lies to some, may be “gospel truth” for others, therefore the rule is harsh and unhappy:
THOSE IN POWER ALWAYS CLAIM TO TELL THE TRUTH, while those who challenge those in power, are often considered liars, rebels and communist and fascist revolutionaries until they have seized power after which a “role reversal takes place”!
Bal harbour socialist.
The only possible question here is how much did Oliver get paid. There’s no way that someone with his level of education would buy Chavez as a good man.
Why these guys that get all the benefits of capitalism and support socialist ideas dont get a reality check ? if Stone likes Chavez so much then he should live there or in China, or Cuba .
As a latin american, we know that Chavez is full of it and that his ideas are by far the worst of any other leader in history of south america, just because Chavez didnt like Bush doesnt make him a hero. Stone should stop doing these “dcoumentaries”
What does stone know about Chavez ? nothing zero , NADA ! he knows nothing about the Cuban revolution, or latin american history. It makes me really mad that he divulges missinformation promoting a dictator like Chavez ! yeah DICTATOR Mr Stone: you DONT have a history degree, you have a smoke-pot and pass the class degree ! so stop making money by making these movies promoting suffering of the people who gets affected by your idols like Chavez, real people are hungry and their rights have been denied while you claim to be some social activist, you SUCK !
So many of you comment about Chavez based on what you have seen broadcast to you by agenda driven media (is there another kind?). So many of you get your news from Fox or other popular news outlets that reports whatever it is the “company line” tells them to report. There is and always has been a filtered, biased, approach to presenting the news in which those in power manipulate anything they can to further their own cause. Venezuela is long noted for their rich production in oil, and in any situation in which wealth is redistributed, powerful enemies are made. In this case those powerful enemies controlled the media outlets. Chavez has only recently began to use censorship, despite allowing the opposition to broadcast slander against the landslide elected government. ITS A MINORITY THAT OPPOSES CHAVEZ. A minority with very big mouths; they’re afraid of losing their money, and we all know what people do when they’re afraid of losing money.
Since the “agenda driven media” is so biased, it’s preferable to get one’s information from an authoritarian leader’s propaganda machine like you have?
People people go easy on Mr. Stone.He just trying to portray perspectives and ideas from the “leaders of the South”-very stereotyical.It is unfortunate we still have a racist nature, go figure. I understand “we” as humans hold grudges to those who oppress,alienate, and marginalized our “freedoms.” However, reality proves that we must accept our differences and work together to move forward,and to progress.Moreover, we can only make idiotic and silly assumptions of other people perspectives until we self-educated ourselves about the realities of the past,present,and future. Furthermore, I agree 100% with “Andrews” comment-right on buddy! Dont spew bile about what you do not know well or at all unless G.W. Bush you want to become!lol peace…
I cannot believe the stupidity I’m hearing here, this is the exact reason this documentary should be made.
So you people honestly believe the US media when they talk about Chavez being as bad as “Al Qaida”, calling “Venezuela a haven for terrorists”, “danger in the regon”, to name but a few.
And “nationalizing every major industry” is what being a socialist is all about, as example, since the power-, tranportation- and many more company’s have been privatised by mostly American company’s in my country Holland, things have gotten real ugly.
And since when does how much money you have has to do with anything?
Don’t you understand that this is just another step in what they did many times before?
OIL AND MONEY, people, where does the US go when Bagdad is empty and “rebuild” by American contracters, “fight the terrorist Chavez?”
These leaders over there are uniting South America, and saying no to the only dictator in this world, the U.S.A., the world has had enough of US violence.
So maybe Chavez does some things that are not exactly wise to do but the bridges made to terrorists or Castro is redicilous, come on!
I can understand the Americans being clueless, what else is knew, they’re still amazed when they travel abroad and find out no one likes the US that much anymore, must be a shock to find out the media in the rest of the world is a liiiiiiiittle different from the crap you’re being fed at home.
But A Hispanic, you should be freaking ashamed of yourself.
Congratulations, Jerom, on making the only intelligent comment up here. I am amazed at how ignorant these people are. I guess maybe it’s just that everyone posting here are 13-year-old film geeks without much knowledge of economics and politics.
So, to everyone else: yes, you are ignorant. That’s not just a word used to insult people; it means you don’t know very much. You can begin to rectify this situation by reading some authors who have a lot of knowledge on these things you know very little about. I would begin with Noam Chomsky, who is pretty much universally acknowledged as one of the foremost experts on international relations. Also, Howard Zinn’s People’s History of the United States is another really important book. From there, keep reading. The best way to stay stupid is to close your mind.
Unbelievable the comments on here. It’s a trailer, #1. Watch that damn film and then give your POV on the subject matter. Right wingers will attack anything without even understanding it. It’s free speech, #2. All these nutball lunatic opinions out there are under the exact same protection Stone is under. Read your history books, #3. No gov’t is without blood on their hands. That’s the politics of power, but if you think the U.S. is squeaky clean and hasn’t forcefully placed puppet regimes all over central and south America, you don’t know squat about 20th Century history in the region. I for one, can’t wait to see this documentary.
“Right wingers will attack anything without even understanding it.”
Well said. Not understanding things is an integral part of the Right wing. To be a right winger, you either have lots of money and are manipulating people, or you are poor and being manipulated. Otherwise, you’d be a liberal.
Wow. I should be ashamed of myself. Incredibly naive.
Yeah I should respect the dictators that stole my families’ homes and businesses in Cuba and forced them into exile.
My grandfather worked as a beer distributor, the government took everything from him, and he came to the US and had to start from the bottom as a lawnmower man (no offense to lawnmowers everywhere). Why should I respect the commie thugs who took his livelyhood?
It’s so easy to be a loony lefty when you live in the USA. Would love to see you ignorant fools survive if you had to live with a food ration card like the poor souls in Cuba.
Think about how great it is to be a lefty when you’re lounging by the pool this weekend. Idiots.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090904/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_anti_chavez_protests
Hugo Chavez is anti-semitic. He’s been bashing Jews and Israel all week while he dances with Bashar al-Assad in Syria. Oliver Stone is a turd of the maximum degree. I’m sure Oliver would love Hitler and Stalin too….pig.
Both sides are wrong….
The only reason the US govt hates castro and the other leftists is because they wont play ball and allow the US capitalists to exploit their country. The latin leftists can do it all by themselves and dont want to share. If you are on the opposite side then you welcome the US and the gambling, corruption, graft, prostitution cuz you will naturally get your cut from business (directly or indirectly) from the toursists that come from far and near to enjoy themselves, spend their money, drugs, and spread aids (see Haiti and the Dominican Republic).
Don’t over think it, guys… Stone got paid big time. In cash and free of US taxes. Any Venezuelan can tell you that. That’s how the revolution works. Stone doesn’t even pretend to have made a documentary, it’s openly and shamelesly a propaganda piece. The discussion is interesting but pointless. If Stone was truly interested in Venezuela he would at least interview Teodoro Petkoff. But no single aspect of this flick is intended to search for the truth. This is an economic operation. Part of the massive international propaganda machine Chavez has created to expand his empire.
Viva Chavez!
I created the website Viva Chavez (www.viva-chavez.com) to support the man I consider the #1 living global hero. If Chavez hates George W. Bush and St. Obama, then Chavez rocks. If the corporate media condemn Chavez with every breath, then Chavez must be a candidate for sainthood.
It’s hardly surprising that the right-wing kooks who supported the worst pResident since the Civil War (Dubya) would hate Chavez. But the fact that so many liberals even hate Chavez illustrates just how dumbed down Americans have become. That’s one of the reasons I don’t like to be called a liberal; the liberal city of Seattle (where I live) is little more than a corporate shithole.
I fervently hope Chavez’ revolution succeeds, for if Chavez succeeds, then there will be hope for a world that’s swiftly deteriorating. U.S. citizens up to their eyeballs in corporate corruption may one day look to Latin America for hope and guidance.
Viva Chavez!
The fact that people like you support Chavez shows how stupid socialist wannabes have become
So, David, Seattle, where you live, is a «corporate shithole»? Then, why are you still there? Don’t just «look to Latin America for hope and guidance»… go there, stay there… permanently! You do seem to have a big problem with anything «corporate»… what about state corruption under Chavez and the Castro Brothers?
the typical right winger in the u.s. likes their investigative journalism wrapped in a fox news blanket with a large side order of ignorance – then, they wash it all down with some high fructose paranoia.
USA is transforming to a dictatorship whit Obama. The patriot law is unconstituional and its to inmidate all oposition.
The internet is going to be close soon, Americans YOU are not free, open your eyes. Your goberment the BANKS/WALL STREET/WEAPONS INDUSTREAL are the real rulers, Obama, Bush are yust puppets.
http://blog.puppetgov.com/
Oliver Stone is a fucking idiot. These hollywood peeps believe what they want to believe just like a communist. Chavez lied to every single voter that elected him, he said he wouldn’t run for reelection, he said he would not go after the media companies, he said that he would not interfere with private companies. Then systematically changed and manipulated the Venezuelan Constitution to change what was once a democracy into a totalitarian dictatorship. It is well documented that he manipulated the results for the 2004 referendum for his reelection, he controlled every brach of government including the electoral tribunal. Oliver Stone is making him look like a champion for the poor, when he is using all his petro-dollars to buy Soviet weapons; tanks, jets, rifles. Then he resells some of those weapons to the FARC, a well known terrorist group. Even Hezbollah has set up shop in Venezuela. But what’s worse is that he creeps in the political cracks of every South and Central American country and with petro-dollars starts buying politicians into his so called Bolivarian Revolution. Which it’s first goal is to unite ever Latin American country under socialism and then pit them against the United States which he has stated several times over is World Enemy #1. Now how can someone like Stone celebrate and immortalize a man that propagates hates and entices terrorism all over Latin America?
Edgar
Please do not conflate the the concept of international terrorism with FARC in an attempt to create new excuses more military posturing against a county that is no threat to us.
FARC is not an international terrorist organization that threatens the Unites States. FARC is a Columbia-born communist guerrilla organization that has been around since the 1960s. They have no goals of overthrowing the US government. Their only target is the overthrow of the Colombian government, which makes that Columbia’s problem… not ours. If FARC has not been a threat to the United States for the last 40-plus years (outside of the cocaine trade), then why are they a threat now?
Although I highly doubt that ties exist between Hezbollah and FARC… who cares. Hezbollah is a regional threat to the Middle east and to Israel, not a threat to the United States. Again, Hezbollah is is a problem of the Middle East, not a problem of the Americas.
“She has abstained from interference in the concerns of others, even when conflict has been for principles to which she clings, as to the last vital drop that visits the heart… wherever the standard of freedom and Independence has been or shall be unfurled, there will her heart, her benedictions and her prayers be. But she goes not abroad, in search of monsters to destroy.”
1821-John Quincy Adams
Stone you are an idiot, a real one. I have lost my complete respect to you. You are known for your ficitional movies, and yes, you produce another fictional one with the Chavez one….you have no clue on what is really happening in Venezuela. Not too far from now, when Chavez is in jail for human crimes, you will have to stick your movie you know where….
No you’re not naive “A Hispanic” – just a traitor. So sorry your father had to be a lowly lawnmower man (sarcasm) – is that really so horrible?? How about all the people who DIED in New Orleans becuase our government refused to help them? How about all the people who died in this country due to hunger while “businessmen” gave themselves bonuses last year? How about all the soldiers and innocent citizens who have died because of our governments’ thirst for oil? Ration cards you say? How much poverty and people actually starving is there in Cuba??? Stop crying about “commie thugs” because your family couldn’t remain rich while your countrymen struggled to have enough you little baby. You should be happy your dad even has a job in this country.
By the way, I have no pool. And I’m not a “lefty” either. Just a mother trying to get by in this world who has done some studying of the truth. I have faith in grassroots Cubans and Venezuelans and Americans, not Castro or Obama or any other “leader” currently in power.
Hi from Holland. We Europeans are happy that the U.S.A. begin to open their eyes catching the reality of facts, thanks also to courageous artists like Michael Moore and Oliver Stone. Since the election of Mister Obama we are beginning to believe that America can finally become a real land of democracy. Stop all the wars in the world, call back your soldiers, and let the other countries alone and free to choice their own politics and their own economical way. Attend only to your only businesses!
«Courageous artists like Michael Moore and Oliver Stone»?!
Oh yes, they are soooo courageous… court jesters, pets, of dictators, they hail the socialist way while reaping the benefits of capitalism.
Tell me, Peter… does the name «Theo Van Gogh» has any meaning to you?
I am finally seen people ho think, in the USA. Auto-determination is something than your govenants dont respect in the wolrd. Most of you dont konw how to live somebody in a suburban area oof Colômbia, Brasil or Venezuela. And think you know what is the best way for us? You eoonomical sistem is failed. The last crisis (bust is not the last) prove this for all the world.
And for the radical right wings than still sleppimg: wake-up:
O=you don´t know even where stay Venezuela, how you want interfeire in this destination? How do you want to jugge his options? His goverments.
“Stuppid Whitte Man´s”
Cristiano freitas Cezar
assimfalavazaratustra@hotmail.com
Silvânia-Goiás-Brasil.
Peter from Holland, Thanks for opening our eyes to the radical left wing mindset. This quote is taken from your post
“Stop all the wars in the world, call back your soldiers, and let the other countries alone and free to choice their own politics and their own economical way. Attend only to your only businesses!”-John from Holland.
You are a very very ignorant and confused person, why and how should we “stop all the wars in the world” while we then have to “call back your soldiers” and then “let the other countries alone and free to choice their own politics and their own economical way”? Hmm, so I guess we should continue to allow genocides in Africa, child slavery and executions of homosexuals and rapes of women on religious grounds?
Interesting, so that is where the modern Liberal sentiments are at today? What happened to Gay rights, Women rights and peace?
Your mindset is typical of the liberal radical left, especially in Europe where in not too many years from now your Women relatives and freinds will be forced under Islamic Law, Gays will lose the rights they have and Women will be forced to be covered head to toe. What will you say then? So much for tolerance and equality.
Either way, you and Mr. Stoned see eye to eye and I am sure his craphole film will do fantastic in your home town. Ignorance is bliss, lets all just hold hands and sing koombaya and pretend all the problems of the world are caused by the Jews the Zionists and the Evil Americans hey its the European way!
Why is it if you don’t agree with stone you’re immediately a “neocon” and therefore wrong or evil, and if you agree with Stone you’re a “socialist” and wrong or evil. Shouldn’t party affiliation mean nothing when it comes to something being right or wrong.
And certainly if America did it or does it [it being something that happens in Venezuela as well] that does not condone it happening elsewhere. That’s like saying because I was mugged, I get to mug someone else. When did we stop living by the Rule of Law and start living by the Rule of Moral Relativity. Wrong is wrong, here or elsewhere. I’m inclined to believe one can disagree with a principle or a policy without it being a condemnation of everything on that side of a policy.
Case in point: The nationalizing of industry and media? I don’t believe in these things and think they are fundamentally wrong. But that doesn’t mean everything on the left is wrong. I believe in free market but the right is certainly not always right on everything. The few people that provided a rational argument were yelled down in here with labels of “neocon” and “Glenn Beck fans” and everyone who responded with educated thoughts on how America is wrong and we’re projecting on to Chavez were shouted down as “socialists” and “liberals”.
Great way to encourage dialogue; sling names at each other like school kids. Why aren’t people listening to each other? I mean actually LISTENING. For all the people presenting themselves as enlightened and educated in these comments, there is a dramatic LACK of anything resembling courteous and intelligent discourse.
And moreso, just because something is wrong in our own country, doesn’t mean we can’t say something is wrong somewhere else. I’d like to think, again, wrong is wrong, and you don’t have to sit silently and quietly for either. Speak your voice and speak truth to power but don’t scream and yell at each other in anger and derision. We’re only going deaf. If we listened to each other, even on something as small and trivial as an OLIVER STONE movie, we might breed a better degree of civil disagreement and debate on bigger things. Like how Final Destination was #1 2 weeks in a row.
And yes, I realize the irony of calling for civility on an internet comment forum. I also wore a Calvin Klein t-shirt in college when I read a paper about Materialism and Commercialism. I am not without a certain tongue-in-cheek self-awareness.
I will now eat some take-out California rolls while I sit in Coffee Bean working on my script.
Please STOP. Please those ultra stupid liberals…WAKE UP Chavez is a threat whether you like it or not. PLease stop giving opinions when you dont know how bad the people is living in Venezuela. 90% poverty. USA is not guilty of that. A very rich oil country but poor management. Many years wasted… 40 + yrs of bad democrats, egotistical and selfish people…but DEMOCRATIC. Chavez is not. Chavez is a killer, heartless selfish son of b…..
I have all the right to say this, I am coming from Venezuela, a beautiful contry full or beauty and the nicest and friendliest people…in 10 years he had tranformed my country in a very dangerous place…full of Comunist…Mr. Stone, you ignorant liberal…go and live there like a venezuelan…middle class…You are an IDIOT. SHAME ON YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have only seen the documentary clip on Chavez directed by Oliver Stone. I also remember that Oliver Stone was the first on line when France wanted to liberate Ingrid Betancourt. I guess Oliver Stone likes to create history and sell “documentaries” He is quite wealthy and he is a citizen of a nation that guarantees his rights to liberty and the pursuit of hapiness. He can have his cake and eat it too. I shall reserve comment on the documentary until I see the full version which probably will bring a hefty profit to Mr. Stone. Are you glad to be a USA citizen Mr. Stone? You human rights are protected and you can be very rich if you wish. But above all, the law in USA guarantees your rights as a citizen. You are privileged to be a USA citizen.
Mr. Oliver Stone will have another best seller. It is classified as a “documentary” but it is his view on the subject of Chavez and the left wing in SA. Mr. Stone is protected by the first ammendement and as a citizen of the USA he has guaranteed human rights and legal rights. He may use his right of free speach, he may be a capitalist, he may engage in USA criticisms, he may do anything within the law. His rights are guaranteed by the USA constitution. What a privilege to be a USA citizen Mr. Stone.
Chavez shown as a HERO? Let me tell you what that HERO does:
1. He supports FARC with Russian weapons
2. He lies to people
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yq_baCJP_Gw (spanish).
3. He attacks other nations by threating in economic way.
4. If you are not with him then you are against him, what kind of goverment is this?
I wonder how much he paid Oliver Stones to do this “INFOMERCIAL”?
enough said.
American People,and pleople from around the world, please WEAK UP.
Who-Ya talkin’ ’bout—-King George Bush, or another of Hank the K-issinger’s puppets, like Obama-nation??
#1–the US of A is one of the world’s foremost weapons/munitions dealers, and I aint talkin bout the farcical guns in MAY-HE-CO;
#2–United States Prez’s’ve been lying to We The Commoners for 2oo years….grow up-wise up;
#3–what nation in the world has America NOT threatened with economic sanctions?
#4–you may recall the Napolitano farce about all the returning military personnel, conservative folks, people wanting the war to end, and others, who were labeled as Terrorists, because they were against the US government?
I cant imagine labeling a returning GI a Terrorist simply cause he is bitching about having left some rather personal body parts in Iraq/Afghanistan, but when (s)he does, it is automagically labeled a diatribe against the government.
parlaiz vous?
kenn war4what@gmail.com
Kakistan (aka: USA) citizen
Hmmm, Oliver Stone will move move to Venenzuela and he’ll be treated like a king. I can’t wait to see that happen.
This is sad. It’s easy to make films about world leaders when your own family is safe and you don’t have to worry about their well-being.
Chavez gets his money from kidnapping innocent people just so he can fund his personal endeavors. Other leaders are following in his footsteps (Nicaragua, Bolivia, Ecuador, etc). One small country managed to put a stop to this its own crazy power-hungry leader (Honduras), but was condemned by the rest of the world.
It’s slowly starting to happen here in good ole USA.
But doing coke with a south american leader sells way more tickets than starving people, right?
Notice that Colombia is strangely absent from this trailer.
Oh, I get it.. maybe it’s gonna work: create a huge polemic and reap the rewards. Nevermind the sorrow, the oppression, the backwardness you are availing.. Stone at his best. And his rhetoric would convince me too if .. this Chavez would not have come to public recognition after a failed coup d’etat. He was the leader. Sure, I’d buy all the populist crap if it weren’t that Chavez has been in absolute power for ten years. that’s a decade, Oliver, before viagra, and plans to stay in power.. You really don’t understand the tyrannical character of the military in power do you? Its not the people, or social justice.. its power they are after. Do you know what the new slogan of this bolivarian revolution is? Its– Patria, socialismo o muerte. get it? Patria is the homeland, the nation… Nationalism plus socialism, and what do you get? national-socialism, Oliver, Fascism.. not the German superior race type but the Orwell type.. or, you had hoped it was a leftist popular movement? C’mon man, do your research so not to become a useful propaganda tool to this novel and charismatic type of dictator.. Ok, I’ll help you a bit, talk to you later then..
Quanta ignorância… esses americanos têm uma cabeça tão pequena e limitada, são treinados a acreditar que tudo gira em torno deles, desde pequenos… acham que o Rio de Janeiro é a capital do Brasil, e querem tecer comentários sobre política na América Latina?? Talvez eu nem concorde com tudo que o Chavez faz… mas os presidentes americanos sempre fizeram muito pior…muito muito pior…, já usaram bomba atômica certo? Malditos, vocês me ensinaram a comer bacon e ovos no café da manhã!!!hahahaha..
e juram que sabem o bastante de política para criticar os presidentes latino americanos! e tenho certeza que algum comentário racista quanto ao meu idioma, será postado!
Just for the record, I do speak english and Español!
I HOPE YOU FEEL THE SAME AFTER A FEW YEARS. YOUR REVOLUTION IS TOO YOUNG FOR YOU TO REALIZE WHAT YOU ARE IN FOR. ALL OUR HORRIBLE PRESIDENTS HAVE HELP ALL OF YOUR COUNTRIES BEYOND WHAT YOU CAN PAY US BACK. NO BODY HAS TRAINED ME, I LIVED IN CUBA, I KNOW WHAT IS LIKE. NO ONE HAS TO BRAIN WASH ME. CUBA WAS ON THE TOP OF THE FINANCIAL WORLD IN 1959 WHEN CASTRO TOOK OVER, TODAY IS POORER THAN HAITI. AND CASTRO AND HIS BROTHER OWN BILLIONS OF DOLLARS, BILLIONS IN EUROPEAN BANKS.
CUBAN RESIDENTS CANNOT GO TO A HOTEL THAT YOU CRISTIANO WOULD BE ABLE TO GO AS A TOURIST, THEY CAN NOT EAT AT THE SAME RESTAURANTS OR SHOP AT THE SAME STORES. THEY CANNOT EVEN TALK TO YOU WITHOUT BEEN WATCHED. SORRY TO TELL YOU THIS BUT YOU HAVE BEEN BRAINED WASHED. READ THE BOOK LA GRAN ESTAFA
Although it is likely that Hugo Chavez is a self-serving leader at best, he is in no way a threat to the United States. A tin-pot dictator maybe, but nothing more than a tin pot. And we shouldn’t be spending our blood and treasure on replacing tin pots. Oliver Stone is at least giving us the other side of the story (although likely biased) in a period of time before our posture against Venezuela cools to a point where debate and discussion become “unpatriotic” as it did during the run-up to the Iraq war.
The current situation with Venezuela is simply another chapter in the 50-year plus story of petrol and petro-dollar politics: You nationalize your oil fields, we shoot your leaders. When you take into consideration heavy-oil, Venezuela has perhaps the largest oil reserves in the world (now nationalized), and that is what apparently makes them a threat. Unfortunately, it looks like relations with Venezuela will get a lot worse in the next decade as peak-oil comes and goes; oil prices climb; and the demand for Venezuelan oil reserves become greater and greater.
Make no bones about it, our latest military “agreement” with Columbia (thanks to Barack Obama), which puts seven US bases in Columbia, opens the door for a future proxy war with Venezuela in the event the Unites States is unable to change in the inter-politics of Venezuela. A war that could be fought through our client state of Columbia, i.e. like the Northern Alliance in Afghanistan. Should this scenario ever play out, I’m sure our excuse will include well practiced slogans such as “to stop drugs” or to rid the world of “narco-terrorists”, etc, etc.
All of this has happened before and all of this will happen again. Mexico 1938. “On March 18, 1938 President Cárdenas [of Mexico]embarked on the expropriation of all oil resources and facilities by the state, nationalizing the U.S. and Anglo-Dutch operating companies.” “…In retaliation, the oil companies initiated a public relations campaign against Mexico, urging people to stop buying Mexican goods, and lobbying to embargo US technology to Mexico. Many foreign governments closed their markets to Mexican oil, hoping that PEMEX would drown in its own oil.” – Wikipedia
Since that time in 1938, Mexico has continued its socialist lock on it’s oil fields, yet we have not fought nor been threatened by her. Instead, she has continued to be one of the greatest trading partners and friends the United States has ever had. So why is Venezuela a threat?
DON’T BE SO SURE CHAVEZ IS A LITTLE ITTY BITTY TIN POT. HE’S IN BED WITH IRAN MOST RECENTLY…
I have come to the conclusion that the rich are all elitist and evil.
I was born in the United States and take that to heart!
Screw capitalism and everything that goes with it.
Viva Castro!
We will all realize this fact soon.
What are you doing living in the United States? you should move to Cuba, you looser!
APPLAUSE!!!
go to Cuba, so you can own a horse and buggy, take showers with a rusted can, take your own sheets to the hospital. This is all equality, they took from the rich, the middle class and the poor, they suppressed everyone.
If you are so unhappy with Capitalism, move to Cuba, to Venezuela.
But dont say, this is not what I thought, You may get 10 years in prison, and by the way they are nothing like the prisons here.
I’m a Venezuelan and I know for a fact that Chavez paid a few million dollars to Oliver Stone to do this documentary………….
money talks Mr. Stone, I hope you give it to charity in Venezuela!!!
It’s all a lie!
Stone would never move to Venezuela. There’s been twice as many violent deaths in Venezuela during Chavez than those of American soldiers in the Vietnam War. Stone doesn’t know Venezuela, but he knows he’ll never go there without Government protection… He wouldn’t last a day.
I am from India and not a typical socialist or communist. Really amused to see the arguments aboard. I checked few numbers:
Rankings of countries based on UN report:
1) Health in Venezuela : 54 (out of 190 countries); note US ranking is: 37
See http://www.photius.com/rankings/healthranks.html
2) Human development index by UNDP Venezuela : 61 (out of 75 High human development countries) (Total countries 179; Medium human development countries: 78 and low 26) see http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/
Dictator or no dictator….can anyone explain the figures?
Well all I can say is that Chavez and his expansionism was stopped in Honduras!!! And what did we get… economic sanctions from the US…Bravo!! Isn’t this a crazy world
Oliver Stone is just as disgusting as Chávez, who has destroyed Venezuela. Shame on you Mr. Stone!
More garbage from Oliver Stone. His attempts at re-writing U.S. history are sad. Jumping on board with Chavez is just another trip down “hate America” lane. If anyone wants to hold up South America as a success story in socialism or communismin helping the poor then they are ignoring facts. Look at per-capita income in South America and who controls the wealth. Where is free speech? Whre is opposing political comentary encouraged? Certainly not “south of the Border”. Look at the disparity between the “elite” and the poor. There is no middle class. Chavez lines his pockets, eliminates free speech, and wants to bring his brand of thug leadership to the rest of the hemisphere.
I defend Oliver’s right to expound lies and mis-information since only in America woud this free expression be allowed. Not in Venezuela or in Cuba. I celebrate Oliver Stone’s freedom to be stupid.
God left Venezuela the day Chavez took power! Caracas is the murder capitol of the world. Chavez preeches to his people in the barrios to kidnap and rob. I live here and can honestly tell you that Oliver Stone just gave credibility to one of the world’s most evil men. That Mr. Stone will have live with. I hope the Venezuelan people find a way to leave the county safely and for those that will not be able to leave, God bless you! It’s your only hope left now that the Dictator Chavez is here to stay.
Whether or not Chavez’s leadership has been good or bad for the majority of Venuzuelans, the fact is that when I hear him speak my gut instinct is that he’s a good man and he actually cares about not only the people of his country, but the people of the world.
On the opposite end of the spectrum sits a man like George W. Bush, who whenever I heard speak my gut instinct was he was lying through his teeth, and I never had any doubt that him and his cronies wouldn’t loose even a minutes sleep if every child in Iraq was blown off the face of the Earth.
No leader is perfect and no-one ever knows the true motivations behind someone else’s actions, but if you listen to your intuition you’ll probably be right 9 times out of 10.
After just now viewing I would highly recommend it to any native Venezuelan or US citizen who has formed their opinion of Chevez based on the image projected from the private Venezuelan and US media.
It’s not everyday you get to see first hand how a puppet regime is attempted to be installed, and with the intense emotion it stirs you can hardly blame a film maker like Oliver Stone being drawn in to creating a film on the subject.
Anyway, trying to convince closed minded people to open their mind is just about impossible so good luck to him and his movie.
I know the monster cause i lived in its belly.
Your instincts and gut feeling are screwed up. sorry.
I have no doubt his regime is capable of terrible things. Most governments are.
I just find it hard to believe he personally is some money hungry evil scumbug though. Let’s face it, the guy spends most his time hanging around recording talkback television shows, fielding calls from his citizens. If he didn’t give a shit he’d spend all his time out on the golf course or cruising around on his yaught or flying around on his jet.
What did George Bush do for most of his time in office again? I can’t remember.
It is sad to have a film maker from the US, glorify such an evil politician like Hugo Chavez. Mr. Stone, I will recommend you to travel to Venezuela incognito with just a personal video camera, so we can see how long you will survive.
It is very easy to do what you do, when you are surrounded by wealth and personal protection; something that has been stolen from all venezuelans.
I moved to Chicago 9 years go, before Chavez destroyed my home country. However, my entire family is still there suffering the daily life, which translate into not been able to even go to the movies to watch your insulting film, because they are afraid of being killed.
Shame on you Mr. stone, shame on you.
I think we are missing the point here. This is not about socialism been good or evil. It’s not about capitalism been the best or the worse. It’s about a clown, called Chavez, who it’s absolutely destroying a wonderful country like Venezuela. And it´s about another clown, taking advantage of a pure and simple marketing (including Chavez ego) strategy to sell a nonsense film. But It´s also about Chavez lack of vision, ability, skills, realism and conscience. It´s about his blindness caused his bitterness, rage and hate towards everything that its not “chavista”. The country its divided in two halves. And he continuously ignores, with very poor judgment and even worse assessment from his people, the other half. The one it’s not “chavista”. The one that soon will bring him down. He is surrounded by a clan of mafia politicians, a group of parasites that only aim is to make as much money as possible (of course, US dollars…bolivars are as good as Monopoly money) and as quick as possible. Anyone appointed to a public office knows that has e few months, a couple of years in the best cases, to build up his private bank account. Not acknowledging this issue its to absolutely ignore reality. After ten years, Venezuela its still stranded in chaos, dirt, crime and isolated from the world.
Although a Spanish citizen, I have been living in Venezuela for 4 years now. I am not sure if Mr Stone will ever read this lines but I would invite him (dare even) to come down to the “south of the border” with me. I will gladly give him the “grand tour” (not the official’s escorted tour) and show him the real Venezuela. The one he seems to be absolutely ignorant. The one that its governed by a rampant corruption (anything…ANYTHING needs bribing here), a useless, inefficient government body and policies that after 10 years in control have done nothing (not sure if this is clear..NOTHING?…do I explain myself?) to improve public safety, poverty and social welfare. It’s such a tragedy that hurts. But it’s even worse how a renowned film maker, culturally and mentally prepared to mingle with world leaders has failed to see this Venezuelan reality. Where or who were his information sources? Chavez? Chavez´s political party spokesmen? Who???…I fail to understand how naive and ridiculous a star like Mr. Stone can be. All I can come up with is that he likes to choose controversial issues, and then he adds more spice by taking an even more challenging stand (Chavez side in this case) to boost spectators expectations, sales and turmoil. It’s all showbiz. All marketing and sales. Mr. Stone cannot be so irresponsible, careless and ignorant to endorse this absurd film unless he has a hidden agenda. I can´t believe it.
YES YES YES!!!
My complete and sincere admiration goes to Mr. Stone for creating such an important piece.
Of course I will watch.
As everybody knows, the US media has managed to blind the public eye by presenting a negative picture of Mr. Chavez,
when on the contrary, the majority of Venezuelans (including Venezuelan family I have), respect and in fact adore him for standing up for the working class, for wanting equality, increasing literacy, economic standing and for wanting independence from capitalist nations… For simply moving the country ahead.
I am hopeful that this film will finally bring truth to those who are innocently ignorant…
You probably also admire Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini, and Franco to be so blind and brainwashed……….Oliver Stone’s next film is about the Iran dictatorship……….I guess you love them too!
Time will tell!
Nazis by the millions followed Hitler. Bolsheviks by the billions followed Lenin. These greedy leaders (Chavez, Correa, etc…) have first divided their countries against them. Then with continuous propaganda, and rallying their kool-aid drinking followers against an external enemy have continuously pushed their own personal agenda. Beware, the greed of these dictators has no limit.
The only thing equally disgusting to Chavez is Oliver Stone. How can he glorify a man who has destroyed Venezuela! Shame on you Oliver Stone! you are just as evil and guilty of promoting terrorism, drug traffic and lies as this communist murderer.
It’s disheartening to read all the fear and ignorance in these replies.
A person from Brazil will attempt to comment in their limited English and get slammed for not knowing the “British” language well enough to be entitled to an opinion on a North American blog.
Such arrogance and lack of empathy is precisely what has us in this mess of international distrust and division.
Is my English good enough to comment here? Now on to foreign policy. The leadership of the American countries has been dictated by Europeans almost since they first invaded, er, uh, “Discovered” the American hemisphere.
With the decline in European political dominance over the Americas after WWII, the Corporate profit interests of the United States of America (just below Canada) have led the decision making for the indigineous peoples of the Americas.
By using the US’s unmatched military might, installing “Friendly” (bought out) dictators and dirty dealing behind the scenes, US corps have leached out every penny of material and labor wealth they could.
Now, while the US Government’s attention has been focused on bleeding the middle east dry, Central and South American nations have elected their own leaders and have started learning how to break from the control of Dole and United Fruit and Chevron oil Cos.
Yes, I am a Caucasian, naturally-born U.S. Citizen.
The difference is that I don’t simply wave the U.S. flag every time somebody asks me to think critically about our regional dominance or our role in International Human Rights, African Slavery, Native American Genocide, Internment camps for Japanese, “Reservations” for Native peoples stripped of their language, religion and heritages.
I expect the automated response will be “USA! USA! USA!”
No thinking or cognitive reasoning necessary.
Great movie, Mr. Stone. Please get this one distribution in the U.S. (albeit unlikely) and make more informative, paradigm-shifting films like this one.
oh my god…this is so ridiculous…seriously? adults? adults are we? the man is a loud mouth…no one can argue with that. at many times he doesn’t know when to shut up. but any educated human being who actually does some research rather then listen to the news and whine about him with your buddies on a Saturday night because you have nothing better to do with your lives, would have a better chance of getting some legit information.
he is giving a chance to the poor. to the people who have been denied a voice. is he perfect? of course not, what leader is? we can all agree that no radical change in history led by any individual has been accepted with open arms.
he is doing what is best for HIS country…a right that every country has the right to excercize.
I have been to venezuela and spoken with students. Normally students are the radical, free thinkers in the nation, often liberal. In Venezuela, ALL of the students are fearful of Chavez and greatly dislike his presence. Some of their friends were murdered by the military during protests. Why is it that even the liberal students dislike chavez? Maybe it’s because they have half a brain to look around and see what he’s doing to the nation.
what really sticks out in my mind is the poster on an apartment building, “socialismo o muerte” Doesn’t that bother anyone???
I re-iterate…views…yours or mine mostly biased by propaganda…but facts and figures are not grossly wrong specially when they come from non-political agencies like UNDP…so pl someone explain the figures…. I restate …
Rankings of countries based on UN report:
1) Health in Venezuela : 54 (out of 190 countries); note US ranking is: 37
See http://www.photius.com/rankings/healthranks.html
2) Human development index by UNDP Venezuela : 61 (out of 75 High human development countries) (Total countries 179; Medium human development countries: 78 and low 26) see http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/
Dictator or no dictator….can anyone explain the figures?
Old Stone is really out to lunch on this one. Chavez is a thug.
He’s the classic dictator. Silencing any opposing view. Closing all private news outlets. Expelling human rights groups. He works with narcoterrorists organizations, such as FARC. His violations of civil, political and human rights, have been amply documented by human rights organizations, such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International.
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=149985999001
Join the group.. Venezuelans against Oliver Stone!
I hate propaganda. That’s all this is. People like Oliver Stone are privileged and don’t see what these tyrants do to the people of their countries. How sad that people actually believe in this Che crap.
I find it interesting how people tend to generalize and villify a particular economic model and then blame that model as a whole for the woes of humannity when things don’t work out perfectly. Capitalism is not inherently good or bad. In some cases it works, and I’m sure that in some cases it has failed. Socialism is not inherently good or bad in some places it works (Australia, Canada), and in some places it does not (Cuba, Venezuela). And my claims of thos states where it works and where it does not are of coures predicated on the opinion of the person who you are asking at the time.
The problems that everyone has so heatedly discussed in this conversation have to do with the corruption of the people that were placed in power, the inclination (or lack thereof) of the people who put those people in power to leave them there, and the corrupting influence of power in general, which no country is immune from. The important difference is the ability of one countries government to check those powers and limit (though not eliminate) the spread of corruption throughout the system. I sho
I know the monster cause i lived in its belly.
the quote is from jose marti poet and fighter against the spaniards
in the war for independance and he was refering to usa intervention
I think one has to understand first the history of these countries. Venezuela like America was a country taken over by foreigners mainly from Europe, subjugating the masses (Natives) for decades. What the oppressors had to do to justify their evil practice, was demonize the natives to a point that, the only solution was to eliminate them. This is What people like Chavez are fighting against, with whatever system whether justifiable or not. In America, people had had this mindset for over 500 Years, especially in the south, when the slaves revolted, the oppressors became a beligerent lot and that’s the mentality of an average American of today. They believe in so much violence. The only way to resolve these issues in this hemisphere is by reconditioning of the mind of the oppressed and the oppressor.
People of South America, lovers of Chavez, you are not even wrong- you just don’t get it. You remember everything but learn nothing from your history. You will always play hit or miss with your leaders and your freedom till you stop thinking like peasants and start thinking like responsible, disciplined democrats. Power flows from the people, not a leader. Chavez is building a big military with your oil money and not the institutions of democracy- he will lead you and maybe even the region to disaster. Don’t think the Russians will fight a nuclear war with us over you. Good luck to the silly little people South Of The Border, you never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity.
If Oliver Stone really wanted a truthful look at Chavez, he would have gone to the people in the street and interviewed them, not slavishly follow his own political beliefs. I won’t spend a dime on South of the Border.
What would happen if a Venezulan filmmaker made a film about the misrepresentation of the US by the Venezulan media? He or she would most likely disappear or be thrown in jail for an indefinite amount of time. The US sure does suck tremendously with all of its ‘freedom of speech’ crap.
Hard to believe with all the opportunities Stone had in his worthless triffling life. Stone’s next film should be about the love of Charlie Manson, and the World’s misunderstanding of the kindness of Adolf Hitler.
Bill Mahr, Charlie Sheen, Oli Stone, Michael Moore, & B.H.O too sing the same tired song, “knock your Country down – because it’s the ONLY place in the World you can speak freely & Not worry about being trown in Jail!!!”
Ahmnadinejad, Chavez, and Palin all position themselves on the same platform: The US media mistreats them, so therefore they are victims who should be appreciated. Go ahead and stipulate that the media is biased against them, then evaluate them on the merits of their behavior. You still end up with a couple of irresponsible, egotistical, maniacal, dangerous world leaders and a random woman from Alaska.
This Oliver Stone work will be a total bust. People could care less about a profile of dictators. I am sure most of the viewers will be polysci students and/or poor Venezuelans forced to watch on the remaining government approved TV channel.
I wonder if Chavez paid for it. ?
Chavez is just another dictator in the making, who will end democracy or create an Iranian style country with elections, but only with approved parties.
Corruption and crony “capitalism” will flourish, economy will get less efficient, risk takers and skilled people will leave and the poor will just get poorer. Iran is a good example.
Regarding all the discussions about capitalism vs. socialism, most countries in the world are mixed economies..they have elements of both. Other than Singapore of Hong Kong (when it was a crown colony) I can’t think of a purely capitalist system.
Canada, Australia, UK, E-U countries are all mixed economies, yes they may have government health care, but with the privitations of the 90’s, they are less socialist then they were.
US is not a capitalist system, but a mixed economy, just less socialist than everyone else. Take health care from Canada and it would be hard to tell the difference…
Obama desires to make the US more like the EU countries and frankly more socialist like that Canada is.
Ican’t believe all the idiots calling all of these Central and South American leaders “dictators” when they were all freely elected. We cannot even say that about how Bush came to power. What
goes around comes around. Having traveled throughout the Americas it was clear that there weren’t any right wing dictators that the US and it’s corporate interests didn’t. If a leader to the left was freely elected we had a right and duty to overthrow them. Now we have nearly all the leaders of C&S America leaning left and trying to help their country’s poor. Finally the US has lost the power to totally manipulate these countries.
Oliver Stone is a has been for quite some time. Like many in Hollywood, he’s convinced Chavez and Castro have it right and America has it wrong, yet he still resides where? America..
I don’t see people hopping the fence in droves to get INTO Cuba or into anywhere else, for that matter… And if they were, they wouldn’t be given amnesty or jobs OR healthcare. No, they would be jailed or worse.
Name one other country that has become more successful in just over 200 years of existance than the USA… There’s one reason for this success and it is Freedom and capitalism.
All those that think this small downturn is a failure of capitalism have no clue of the actual facts. The bad assets that started it all were a result of bad loans made to people who couldn’t afford them, encouraged (more like forced) by democrats and the likes of ACORN and then broken up and sold as real assets. Those that attempted to refuse to give loans to the people who couldn’t afford them were threatened with legislation or being called racist.
“Those who trade freedom for security deserve neither and will loose both” – Benjamin Franklin
Those who embrace “hope” for the sake of “Change” without knowing what they’re hoping for or changing into deserve to be disapointed and left wanting. – PaulDPearl
I dont agree with some methods of chaves, but the USA just are worried about him cause the OIL that are in Venezuela. If this is not the reason, why a big power like US are worried with a small and pour south american coutry…..
I am not saying who is right or wrong, bu we need to have our mind opened to look differents point of view and try to understand bouth sides, cause the true is allways in the midle.
The american people should read and study the intenational media and not acept everything that the america´s media says.
yo know its capitalism that allows us to live the way we do. All these inventions and ideas are made real because somebody said hey if i can make it bigger, better, faster or cheaper i can MAKE money.. i love how the people being rationed food in cuba or better yet 3rd world people in S.America want to talk about our economic crash…. ill think about that on my way to work in my BMW tomorrow. If anything has destroyed us its that WE HAVE LET TOO MUCH SOCIALISM IN… We let poor ass no credit people in america buy houses.. F that.. go to school, get a job then you buy a house… not, get on welfare have a house.. God this shit makes me sick… anybody of any race in the us can go to COLLEGE FREE and make something of themself it they choose to work hard.. can you say that in cuba or Ven. why the hell would i want to bust my ass to become a doc if no matter what i am going to make the same amount of money as the lazy ass who folds clothes at walmart..
POOR STONE, SO RICH AND SO IGNORANT!!!!is so easy play comunist having millions of dollars, is to much for him to give a look to Cuba being Chavez the most advanced student of dictator Fidel Castro, that is the bright future of Venezuela under pig chavez
leadership.
who has eyes see, who has ears hear, who has brains think.wake up idiots.viva chavez…