Oliver Stone ‘Warmly Embracing’ Hugo Chavez in Blame America Doc
by John NolteIn today’s L.A. Times director Oliver Stone discusses his upcoming documentary “South of the Border,” about the “warmhearted” Hugo Chavez. [emphasis added]:
Oliver Stone is shown warmly embracing Hugo Chávez, nibbling coca leaves with Evo Morales and gently teasing Cristina Elizabeth Fernández de Kirchner about how many pairs of shoes she owns. …
“I think he’s an extremely dynamic and charismatic figure. He’s open and warmhearted and big, and a fascinating character,” … ”But when I go back to the States I keep hearing these horror stories about ‘dictator,’ ‘bad guy,’ ‘menace to American society.’ I think the project started as something about the American media demonizing Latin leaders.
Guys like Stone are forced to rationalize that the American media is right-leaning in order to avoid their head exploding due to an acute case of FacingTheTruth-itosis. But maybe the doc will be more critical than we’re led to believe in this article. During their warm embrace, it’s possible Stone whispered hard-hitting questions in Hugo’s ear about reports such as this from the not-so-conservative Human Rights Watch.
The film’s writer Tariq Ali describes his doc as a “political road movie.”
A Blame America Tour is more like it:
A big part of the explanation the film advances is that the free-market economic policies pushed by the U.S. and the International Monetary Fund over the last several years largely have failed to alleviate Latin America’s chronic income inequality.
And then there’s that awesome Bolivarian Revolution Stone’s “rooting for.” No word yet on whether or not he’s willing to live under it:
“I’m rooting for [Hugo Chavez's] Bolivarian movement,” he says. “I’m rooting for their independence because I think that America has a new role to play in this world, and that’s not of an oppressor, but that of a cooperative and, let’s call it equal, partner.”
Time for today’s edition of Choose The Bigger Whopper: Is it the Times’ claim that few Hollywood directors deal with political topics or Stone using the word “truth” in the same sentence as “JFK?”
In an era when few Hollywood directors bother to deal with historical or political topics at all, Stone frequently has been targeted for playing loose with historical facts[.] … On this score, he vigorously defends his record.
“You do your homework, you do your research, we always did, whatever you think of my work,” he says. “Even going back to ‘JFK,’ I’ve always done as much research as we could. And there’s mistakes made, but there’s a lot of truth, you know, as much as we can put into these movies.”
Elite Hollywood Leftists embrace Socialist thugs like Chavez for just that reason: they’re elites, who see themselves not as someone living under the oppressive regimes they boost, but as being the toast of those oppressive regimes. No more of that awful capitalist money-raising to fund the next feature, but better yet, all the Rush Limbaughs and Bill O’Reillys and Glenn Becks who dare hold them accountable are put out of business. Silenced.
Stone’s attraction to this kind of world makes sense in other ways, as well. If it wasn’t for all this pesky democracy stuff everyone would believe everything in his films and a large part of his legacy (other than a half-dozen brilliant films, including “JFK”) wouldn’t be as a punchline for conspiracy theory jokes.
UPDATE: In the comments Christian Toto sums it up perfectly: “It’s staggering that artists continue to support people who oppose free expression.”






Subscribe via RSS
67 Comments
….A$$CLOWN!
When Dickhead Met Assface.
Yes …….. He is an Ignorant Bastard! Birds of the same feather flock together!!!!!!!
Socialists
Man….It's at moments like these that I do hope reincarnation exists cause this fool is gonna get it.
Classic statist. Human civilization can not exist unless there are strong-armed men who can force us all to co-exist. The thought that each individual can manage their own lives is impossible for them to grasp. It's worse than unthinkable, it terrifies them.
That's where I believe the love affair with leftist dictators come from. They've made the next step in civilization's evolution, supremacy of the state over the individual. They can only dream of what they could achieve, should they be able to wrestle control from We The People.
The comments from Stone and his ilk are beyond parody at this point. It's staggering that artists continue to support people who oppose free expression.
What's with the "Latin Leaders" nonsense? So it's simple predjudice? That's it? It has nothing to do with their thuggish behavior?
I remember in grade school, the kids who wanted to "understand" the school bully rather than plot to beat the crap out of him were actually the cowards. The left sucks up to dictators because they fear them. They seem to think that by felating bullies, they will be left alone.
When has Stone ever let the truth get in the way of his narrative…that would be bad story-telling.
His opinions of Chavez would probably change if he had a vested interest (in both the legal and social sense) in a newspaper or radio station in Venezuela. But that would be so, bourgeoisie.
"the free-market economic policies pushed by the U.S. and the International Monetary Fund over the last several years largely have failed to alleviate Latin America’s chronic income inequality"
Since when was the IMF part of the "free market"? Wasn't it the brain-child of Lord Keynes? If Keynes is suddenly representative of free market policy, where do I turn in my card?
By the way, what is all this worrying about income inequality? America's poor may be struggling relative to Donald Trump, but when you compare them to the average Venezuelan, it's another matter.
"America's poor may be struggling relative to Donald Trump, but when you compare them to the average Venezuelan, it's another matter."
By which I mean to say, inequality isn't the problem. Their pie is too small.
Of course he's going to be "warm-hearted", Mr. Stone. You're doing a propaganda film for him. Get a clue!
Unfortunately, Los Angeliberals will wake up and read this article sip their coffees and lattes nodding apporvingly of Stone's "awesome courage" in identifying the miserable ways of America and it's foreign policy. I'm sure George Clooney and Sean Penn are beaming with pride. Good time for Alex to post the the "Hollywood Smugness" episode of "south Park.".
Exactly right, but they don't live in Venezuela or Cuba, do they. It is completely irrational that they denigrate the place where they live, which has all the freedoms they enjoy, and promote these leftist totalitarian states that oppress such fundamental rights such as speaking against the leadership.
Tublecane, I have to ask, is that a Newradio reference?
Tublecane, I have to ask, is that a Newsradio reference?
Why are Hollywood types so quick to embrace leaders like Chavez, Castro, etc. who are anti-free speech?
Geezh. What IS it with all these Hollywood people trying desperately to channel Leni Riefenstahl?
More like they will share in the bully's spoils.
Amazing!
When speaking of himself he says: "I’ve always done as much research as we could. And there’s mistakes made,"
However, for W regarding the WMD in IRAN the same scenerio translates to a LIE.
Why is it that Mr. Stone holds Conservatives to a higher bar than he holds for Liberals and hiself?
What the hell does Chavez chewing coca leaves and joking with Kirchner about her shoe collection have to do with Chavez being a totalitarian thug and a communist? L-tards never cease to amaze me.
Al Gore's roommate is another SOCIALIST PIG!!!!
Stop the insanity, boycott this FOOL!
They'd prefer a muzzled, docile, subserviant population…
ALAS, THAT'LL NEVER HAPPEN AS LONG AS PROTECT THE 2ND AMENDMENT!
That's for sure…I'm waiting for a shadow of Air Force One landing before an adoring throng, then a firey stump speech to the asembled union thugs (new brown shirts) Obama High Value Interrigation Unit (modern GESTAPO) and the DemocratSS as a whole…
Obama, Pelosi and Reid walking slowly between the hundreds of thousands fawning losers….Obama Youth banging on drums…playing bugles..pledging loyalty to death….SEIU dressed in black SS uniforms with Death's Head on their caps…
That's assuming Stone to be an artist. Someone who conforms their products to please socialist thugs like Chavez is no artist at all.
Simon Bolivar is responsible for more deaths in Sud America than any Dictator since. He started the whole nasty "the army can save us!" meme that's been eating away at the continent for 200 years.
Well said EdSki…….history is full of men like that ,who have all gone to dirt with their leftist ideology…..the only time a society or civilization has prospered is when they are free from social scum like them. The elitists always think they can rule others lives, but just look at how screwed up they ARE.
Too bad he wasn't around in 1944 to go to Berlin to enlighten us about the warm and witty side of Hitler
they are all clueless…
Oliver Stone as well. His once febrile mind is now addled with drug use, and he has found his atheistic religion in world socialism. Facts will not deter him, he and his ilk will manufacture what incipient facts they think they need to get to the desired outcome.
Only problem is the outcome they desire will consume themselves…
It never makes sense to me. History shows over and over that dictatorship always leads to ruin, and freedom, liberty and free markets always lead to prosperity – till they are taken over by dictators.
Yet they are in love with the concept of a Dear Leader. Personally I think its psychological issues. A desire for a paternal figure to make sure all the bad stuff stays away, and everything is right.
But there is a reason most people move out of the house, because its time to stop being the child, and to become the adult.
IntenseDebate Notification <DIV dir=ltr align=left>I believe it's more of a co-dependency issue…..that way it's always someone else's fault (it's Bush's' fault), and because they are co-dependent it is totally out of their realm of thinking that there are people out here thatdon't NEED someone to tell them when they're good and when they're bad. That is what the social welfare is based on CO-DEPENDENCY.</DIV>
<DIV>
The really amazing thing to me is how many self described intelligent liberals have never learned anything new or incorperated anything new in thier personal lives or philosophy since leaving thier indoctrination centers. I know I have had to re-adress several times in my life previously held positions or beliefs, it is called growth. I myself will never support or listen to anyone who does not grow. Oliver Stone is just a very vocal and anoying example of this true Arrested Developement.
[...] In the comments Christian Toto sums it up perfectly: “It’s staggering that artists continue to support people [...]
Is it just me or did his quotes not make any sense?
Oliver Stone, Benicio del Toro, Danny Glover (who received $18 million from Chavez to make 2 movies), and Harry Belafonte all go to Venezuela to schmooze with Hugo. Maybe they should all get together and make an Ocean’s 11 with Hugo as the casino owner?
Hey, where are all the libtrolls? Have we finally discovered a leftist idiocy even they can't defend?
[...] the Big Hollywood Blog is this tidbit which goes well with the post of the idiot with the huge cans in the preceding post. [...]
go fuck a duck kingshamus
all you motherfuckers here except a few are zionist blood sucking doochbags
I'm not into animals. Sorry, you got the wrong dude.
Or maybe you're projecting.
Maybe they should go to Venezuela and stay there. If they take Sean Penn along for the ride, that'd be totally rad.
it's getting too easy to identify commie lovers and it's even getting easier to identify the uneducated and ignorant!
“I think he’s an extremely dynamic and charismatic figure. He’s open and warmhearted and big, and a fascinating character,”
ha ha ha ha… that's not what my Venezualan former roommate has said… she has said that he is a raving lunatic who is addicted to baseball so much that he goes on and on and for hours referancing politics using baseball analogies… He is a narcessist that only wants power and money and will do everything in said power to squash the opposition….
If Oliver Stone loves Chavez so much why doesn't he just move there and deal with him on a daily basis like the Venezualans have to… He might not be so heartwarming after a while…
Ah! Romantic racialism! Those cute little peasants, those adorably "authentic" primitives!
The ungrateful 1st world proletariat spit out Marxism like the toxic hairball it was, revealing themselves to be nothing but hardhats, pigs, rednecks, and knuckle-dragggers. They refused– and still refuse– to let us redeem them. They even refuse to acknowledge how superior we are to them. Damn them all!
We the Enlightened Ones, have new beloveds now, new Inferiors to save! The bold Palestinians!
The quaint, coca-chewing andeanos! Yes, we shall align ourselves with their valiant, warm-hearted leaders and joyously embrace the Revolution!
And BTW, isn't it always amusing the way supposedly pacifistic, anti-military lefties swoon over uniform-wearing goose-steppers like Castro and Chavez or bona fide violence freaks like Che Guevara and Arafat?
Oliver StoneD and some others (Spike Lee, Danny Glover, etc.) needs to stop snorting the free coke he's been getting from his friend in Venezuela.
Sigh…another movie made by a director that I will not spend money to see…my personal boycott list grows longer every day!
Seriously, if you can't spell the slam, you can't use it.
All I can say for Stone is that I appreciated World Trade Center. It was a touching, moving piece of cinema that retold an unbelievable story without a hint of Stone's usual anti-Americanism.
Aside from that, I don't really care what Stone says or does.
I bet that pathetic moron hope a better price with his dealeur.
Go back in your cave and screw you until death !
[...] In the comments Christian Toto sums it up perfectly: “It’s staggering that artists continue to support people [...]
Hoooray for Oliver Stone! None of you clowns bother to notice that Chavez has been democratically elected President of Venezuela three times since 1998. YES – you morons – the people of Venezuela twice re-elected Chavez because he helps the poor. Domestically, Chávez has promoted nationwide Bolivarian Missions, which go to poor areas and combat disease, illiteracy, malnutrition, poverty, and other social ills. There are price controls on 400 basic food items so poor working families can afford to eat. Printed on the containers of food items are parts of the new Bolivarian constitution that educate the poor about their democratic rights. Chavez re-nationalized the oil industry in Venezuela and puts the profits (previously extracted by US corporations) to work on programs that build schools, hospitals, and roads in poor rural areas. In the last election which was observed and certified by the OAS and Carter Center, he won 63% of the vote.
In 2005 and 2006 he was named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people.
Favorite line in tv series Starter Wife…setup….producer can't get money to make his movie…I'll add plenty "hate america", and boom…..he keeps adding and adding and it is a huge hit…….stone is an aging phony….pathetic….
We have a saying in Spanish that goes; "For money the dog dances", and that's what Oliver Stone is "a dancing dog". While Venezuela has gone through the biggest oil boom in history, if you travel there you wouldn't think so: Increasing poverty, skyrocketing inflation, violation to human rights, no respect to the constitution, no state of law, centralized executive branches, communist indoctrination starting Sept-15, an inhumane heath-care system where poor women are giving birth on hospital sidewalks, drug smuggling port to the world, close ties to the FARC terrorist group, and the list goes on. For those that believe what the Oliver Stone documentary says, you are very naive, Chavez is a renown liar just look at all the unfulfilled promises he's made to the poverty stricken portion of the economy and now most are sorry to have voted for him (as per quantitative research). Congratulations Oliver Stone, you've sold you soul to the devil-Chavez, hope your money laundered riches let you sleep well at night. Nighty night.
Chávez will end up bankrupting PDVSA and Citgo. Welcome to the Socialism of the XXI Century
Sept. 2 – Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chávez has been using billions of dollars from Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) to buy politicians in South America, to purchase planes, tanks, ships and arms for an imaginary war with Colombia and the United States and to try to keep Cuba's economy afloat, which has been proved to be an impossible task.
Now, PDVSA is in deep trouble and its financial problems are threatening the existence of Citgo, which refines most of Venezuela's crude exports to the United States.
A draft of Citgo's 2008 audited financial results, which have never been released to the public but that were reviewed by Reuters, show a company facing difficult operating conditions with rising debt, a tumbling cash balance and mounting demands for dividends and loans from its financially strained parent.
Citgo is not the only refiner suffering weak results, however, while other companies moved to conserve cash as refining margins collapsed, Citgo paid $1.435 billion in dividends to its parent, which finances Chavez's costly "revolution." Reuters
Obviously you know too little about the thruth. The level of poverty in Venezuela right now is bigger than when he started his government. Yeah the price of the oil has produced a lot of money for the country but the level of corruption is much much bigger than ever. The Missions you mentioned are not working, right because the money si getting lost. I invite you to chack on internet about picture of thousands and thousands poor people sleeping in the middle of the street. Public hospitals are broken, women delivering babies in the street. It has been fraud… and those elections tha you mention when Mr Carter was there…were fraud too. The level of insecurity is very high. Caracas was named two weeks the second most dangerous city in the world.
December 2nd, 2007 he lost the elections about many Constitution amendments he wanted to do. He lost. So he took advantage of his majority in the Congress and one by one of those laws are now approved by his followers. Including the new Law of Education that is a copy cat of the Old law of eductaion of 1960s in Cuba…where the kids after 3years-old are controlled by the government.
Don't believe what I am writing here…don't trust me.
Just check the real version of the story there. Go there and see by yourself. Obviously you are a follower of Chavez. A fanatic, ad fanatism make you blind. I am American and worked there for many years with an American company and I decided to come back because it's sad what is really happening in Venezuela.
Chavez is more focused in his image..and right now he wants to bring the old Communism to that country, creating relationships with dangerous people as dictators like Khadafi, Mukabee, and his tutor Fidel Castro.
He hates the United States, so I don't trust in a man who scream words against the American system and still selling oil here and all his followers come to US to expend millions and millions of dollarss
DON BELIEVE…JUST READ THE TRUTH
Yes, he was democratically elected, but so was HITLER. Domestically the missions started out fantastic, now they are a nest for those who run them and run with the funding leaving the poor uncared for = CORRUPTION as never seen before in the history of Venezuela. What good are price controls if every 3-6 months these controls are increased due to hyper inflation. The only one that believes in the "revolution" is Chavez, the rest are leeches that are capable of selling their mother for a good price. Venezuela is in such great that sice Chavez got into office 10 years ago there have been over 15,000 homicides (figure higher than any recent war), 30 kidnapping per day, 90% imports of food because he destroyed the food industry as a strategy to dominate venezuelans (just like Castro), close ties to the terrorist faction FARC, drug smuggling port of exit (did you know that a barrel of oil is worth $9,000,000 and a barrel of oil $6.00?), Caracas is the 2nd most dangerous city IN THE WORLD and the list goes on and on and on. Spend a year in Venezuela as I did and base your words with facts. Oliver Stone is an opportunist at the cost of a 75% poverty rate where entire families can hardly afford one non-nutritious meal a day. It's very easy support communism from your comfortable pad in a capitalist nation….HIPOCRIT !!!
Tomorrow there is a worldwide protest against Chavez, the slogan: NO MORE CHAVEZ! Hmm I wonder why?
http://www.nomaschavez.com
MANIFESTO
Today, September 4, 2009, Latin Americans peacefully took to the streets around the world to make our voices heard. The objective of our clamor is to ratify democracy as the ideal state system throughout America, and to condemn the imposition and expansion of Venezuela’s totalitarian revolution. We believe that freedom and respect is achieved when the strength of citizens overrides government power. However, when people are fearful of its government, this becomes an unfortunate combination that lends itself to dictatorships, tyranny and human right abuses. We as Latin Americans have learned through the bloodshed of our ancestors that sovereignty and freedom resides with the people.
For more than ten years we have observed how Hugo Chavez ridicules democracy by imposing his personal agenda upon his country. He has absolute control upon institutional powers, without generating goodwill, development, education, health system and safety to his people. Quite the contrary, Chavez may have been elected president through a democratic system, however, he used democracy as a structure to forcefully subject Venezuelans to his totalitarianism: Oppression, increasing poverty, collapsing the private sector and polarizing citizens as a means to divide Venezuelan society in order to incite clashes between chavistas and non-chavistas. The opposition has been facing a high degree of discriminatory punishment as a means to instill fear through made up and ridiculously long-term prison sentences to his opponents. By not complying too his indoctrination all your freedoms are limited, as was the case with the closing of RCTV, for example. The new Organic Law of Education is a carbon copy of Cuban law where children will be molded into radical left revolutionaries. We see how he leverages on our ancestors like Simon Bolivar, as a tool of disrespectful manipulation to bring people into his so-called revolution.
For more than ten years we have witnessed innumerable claims with respect to human rights and crimes against humanity Mr. Chavez has been directly connected to. Said claims reflect crimes that do not prescribe and we as the people will not let the world forget.
For more than ten years we have seen how Mr. Chavez finances campaigns with Venezuela’s petrodollars and how he destabilizes legitimate Latin American governments. His intervention in internal affairs of other countries is unprecedented, constantly violating International Law and the constitution of Venezuela. Non-democratic and oppressive regimes are the blueprint for his personal revolution of the 21st century.
For more than ten years Mr. Chavez has been enforcing his expansionist plan throughout the region with continuous threats to friendly nations such as Colombia. We have repeatedly seen and heard him insult and disrespect presidents and heads of states and how he uses the county’s economic clout to blackmail oil-dependent dependent countries by breaking economic agreements through ceasing oil exports. The later has had a devastating impact on Latin American workers and families subjected to his whims. Charity driven petroleum projects with other countries are also a means through which Mr. Chavez can have a stronghold towards in that country, assures himself an invitation to international forums and ensures a stronghold for his revolution of expansion.
For more than ten years we have been witness to Mr. Chavez’ close protectionist relationship with drug smuggling terrorist groups such as the FARC and how ambiguity in his lengthy speeches betrays him with a supposed ideological and bolivarian affinity.
Considering that a decade is more than enough time to realize what Mr. Chavez’ scary intentions are, we told the world the real truth behind his real agenda. The crumbling of Venezuela’s democratic institutions transcends boundaries and will surely affect our countries directly or indirectly if we do not speak up. Our plight is open to everyone, regardless of religious affiliation, political tendency, and socio-economic level and to politicians that conveniently look the other way by not acknowledging the issue. We must stand together as a region and make sure to remind Mr. Chavez that the will of the people is god’s will, not his will.
Today, September 4, 2009, we the people of Latin America protested on the streets of our respective countries and told the world that we will not allow tyranny and dictatorship, especially the pathetic totalitarianism shackle Chavez wants to force upon us: “NO MORE CHAVEZ”
[...] Much more on this story here: Oliver Stone ‘Warmly Embracing’ Hugo Chavez in Blame America Doc [...]
Why doesn't Oliver Stone go down and live in Venezula? If Chavez is a "savior" why doesn't he want to go live in Paradise?
I'm tired of these people who have benefited greatly from a capitalist system whowant to deny that same opportunity to others. It boggles the mind. These Americans who support Socialist Dictators have no idea what it is like to live under that kind of regime.
Does Mr. Stone know that Chavez is currently on an Anti-American tour around the world? People who support Chavez do not support the best interests of America. Plain and simple. I urge others who believe this to boycott not only Mr. Stone but anyone who is in business with him.
Just stumbled on to your site looking for reactions to the movie trailer. I'm glad you have the platform to broadcast your views, it helps those of us who really care about other human beings to be aware of how those who are more selfish and cold see the events of the day.
It is interesting to note how you call progressives "elite". So what would you call the billionaires with lineages of wealth and control who actually run this country and have since it's bloody inception? Would you call them "salt of the earth"? The "little guy"? "Real Americans"?
And I'm a bit confused about your comment that Bill O'Reilly, Rush Limbaugh and Glen Beck have been "Put out of business. Silenced". Uh, I'm not sure if you watch TV but those guys have hardly been silenced. In fact they are the loudest, most widely broadcast voices in the media. They have the power to "Put out of business" and "Silence" anybody on the left they want to. And they do. Ever heard of Van Jones?
Maybe if you guys wiped the rabid spittle off of your glasses and look at the actual media landscape you would see that the "Elite" rich, white republicans dominate. That despite the fact that most Americans lean more towards slightly left of center. It's called "corporate control of media."
I'm not even going to bother to log back into this site to see how you guys tear up this comment like a band of starving hyenas with a piece of meat. Enjoy, and don't forget to wipe the blood and spittle when you are done.
[...] Oliver Stone ‘Warmly Embracing’ Hugo Chavez in Blame America Doc [...]
[...] Yourself Why SUCK ASS Oliver Stone went to Venezuela / Ask Yourself why Suck Ask Obama Fought Against Honduras, Ask Yourself Why Suck [...]
It's staggering that people would spend their hard earned dollars to go to the movies or contribute in anyway to Charlie Sheen, Fonda, Moore, Penn or any of them. If they don't like it, pack up your crap and get the hell out! and see see what happens when you open your big fat faces in Venezula and Cuba!
[...] For the rest of you movie buffs out there, Oliver Stone is officially off his rocker and out of the socialist closet, as he preps for his new Chavez ‘documentary.’ Possibly related posts: (automatically [...]
i'm shocked that anybody doesn't believe that a conspiracy orchestrated by LBJ is responsible for the idiotic conclusions the mainstream maintains about the JFK murder. after they admit to investigative flaws and errors galore including the murder of their fall guy oswald, the mainstream deserves the nutbag jokes as their conspiracy elevates LBJ, his war in Vietnam, and his legislative & judicial "achievements" as well (while imputing that LBJ vetoing JFK's life was OK and every bit as american as appointing j edgar hoover fbi director for life). if LBJ had not undertaken the killing of americans for communist real estate with such zeal even installing his republican robot nixon to continue his murderously thuggish nincompoopery in vietnam, perhaps his legacy would seem brighter. just as his slavishly devoted legislators almost unanimously enabled vietnam to outshine 1812 or any other american military debacle and his slavish supreme court chief justice put his despised name on the JFK cover-up, LBJ seems to own the slavishly devoted bloggers of this website. he certainly WAS and remains a powerful dictator.
For me it is clear that the USA has become a fascist Country, as i can see with the histeric reactions against everything that smells like social democratic.The USA is now seen in the world as the greatest power of terrorism, the lunatic oil junkie
You must be logged in to post a comment.