Oliver Stone: Russia Good, USA and England Bad

Oliver Stones “Untold History of the United States” on Showtime is some of the best pro socialism propaganda I have ever seen. It is “untold” history because this is Stone’s view, assumptions, and biases about what if FDR did not die or if Henry Wallace was president instead of Truman. Here are some of Stone’s “untold”, or should I say, personal views of U.S. history along with some information he conveniently fails to focus on.

• Japan did not surrender in WWII because of the atomic bomb being dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima, but because Russia had entered the war against Japan in China. Yes, we are to believe Russian forces advancing in Manchuria was viewed as more of threat to Japan than atomic bombs incinerating Tokyo or other major cities.
• Stone also challenges historical claims that the dropping of the atomic bomb saved American lives. If the U.S. did not drop the bomb they would have had to invade Japan – Unless no U.S. soldiers died if such an invasion took place, Stone is wrong. Japan was fighting to the last man – thousands of Americans would have died.
• Stone scolds Truman for killing innocent civilians by dropping the atomic bomb, but he conveniently fails to scold FDR for imprisoning Japanese Americans in internment camps which killed thousands and destroyed hundreds of thousands of lives.
• The U.S. and allies would not have beaten Germany in World War II had it not been for Russia. There is no reason to think the U.S. and its allies would not have beaten the Germans without Russia, but it would have been much more costly.
• The atomic bomb would not have been used had FDR or Wallace been president. Remember, the Manhattan Project (atomic bomb development) was started under the FDR / Wallace presidency, not Truman. Truman only used what FDR developed.
• The Cold War and Iron Curtain would have never happened had FDR or Wallace been president and there would have been no global arms race. FDR and Wallace were socialist sympathizers and they would have done nothing to stop Russian expansion in Eastern Europe nor would they have stopped the Russians from obtaining the nuclear bomb. To think appeasement would have stopped Stalin’s ambitions is just being naïve.
• Russia would have never taken control of Eastern European nations Albania, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Yugoslavia, and Hungary if FDR or Wallace been President. FDR gave Poland to Russia and was also was willing to give Russia Manchuria in the Yalta Conference. Russia annexed Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia right under FDR’s nose. Now we are to assume FDR would grow a spine after the war ended.
• It was the U.S. and England’s imperialism that were the Post World War II evils, and not the potential spread of communism. Stalin was the biggest genocidal leader in history responsible for the death of more than 8 million of his own people. How many people died because of English imperialism? Why is Russian expansion in Eastern Europe and Asia okay, but English imperialism is not okay? These are questions Stone conveniently fails to answer.

I am not defending imperialism, the dropping of the atomic bomb, or underestimating the role Russia had with the defeat of Germany in WWII. However, Stone makes a lot of assumptions, his biases are obvious, and he conveniently omits information. If Stone believes the appeasement foreign policy FDR conducted with Russia during WWII would have satisfied Stalin after the war is more than likely misguided. Wallace would have been just as weak with Russia. Stone is a big fan of Wallace because of his pro union views. Stone’s biases are revealed by how he compares Truman to Bush and how he mocks Truman’s childhood. No other personality – FDR, Wallace, or Stalin had their childhood scrutinized.