ABOUT a week ago, I spent some time with Oliver Stone, and his co-writer, the historian Peter Kuznick, talking about their new “Untold History of the United States.” The 10-part program, which goes up on Showtime starting tonight, is in a Howard Zinn/Noam Chomsky line in looking at international and domestic issues, starting with World War II.
Perhaps the key theme of the series is the idea of American exceptionalism, which the two see as quite dangerous, and tied to a Manichean worldview that dates back to the Puritans.
Of course, people on both sides of the aisle have reasons to be wary of Stone’s view of history, American and otherwise. Check out my story, here, and let me know if you are persuaded.