Oliver Stone's Untold History of the United States

[Rheghead]

Has anybody been watching this TV documentary? And have you been shocked at the documentary's portrayal of the behind-the-scenes intrigue into the decision-making processes that have shaped America and the world?

[George Brims]

I haven't seen this, but I can tell you that Mr Stone has a few bees in his bonnet, going by his past work and pronouncements. He is for instance totally convinced the military-industrial complex had JFK assassinated, so as to ensure the Vietnam war would escalate. Gore Vidal has pointed out JFK would probably have take America deeper into Vietnam anyway (Vidal was a long-time family friend of the Kennedys).

[secrets in symmetry]

Has anybody been watching this TV documentary?No, but I wish I had. As far as I can tell, the series is almost over - sadly....

[John Little]

I haven't seen this, but I can tell you that Mr Stone has a few bees in his bonnet, going by his past work and pronouncements. He is for instance totally convinced the military-industrial complex had JFK assassinated, so as to ensure the Vietnam war would escalate. Gore Vidal has pointed out JFK would probably have take America deeper into Vietnam anyway (Vidal was a long-time family friend of the Kennedys).

Vidal did have a few axes of his own though George.

Dean Rusk recorded in his own account a conversation that he had with Kennedy in March 1963 that he was intending to pull out of Vietnam. It simply was not important any more- any doubts that Khrushchev may have had over Kennedy's credibility had been dispelled by his reaction to the Cuban Crisis, the previous October; Kennedy did not need Vietnam any more.

At the beginning of November 1963, after the messy CIA coup that killed Dinh Diem Kennedy gave the order to commence troop withdrawals. He was assassinated 3 weeks later but the order was not rescinded and the first 1000 US troops were pulled out in time to be home for Xmas 1963.

It was Johnson who escalated Vietnam after his successful use of troops in the Dominican Republic early in 1964
convinced him that boots on the ground got quick results...


This is set out fairly in John Newhouse's book 'The Nuclear Age' which I recommend as a good read

[rob murray]

I haven't seen this, but I can tell you that Mr Stone has a few bees in his bonnet, going by his past work and pronouncements. He is for instance totally convinced the military-industrial complex had JFK assassinated, so as to ensure the Vietnam war would escalate. Gore Vidal has pointed out JFK would probably have take America deeper into Vietnam anyway (Vidal was a long-time family friend of the Kennedys).

Agree with your comments on the the military-industrial complex, a long standing very questionable US theory, which Stone used as the anchor to his JFK film...but the lone gun man theory is almost universally accepted as a farce / cover up...so who killed JFK and why ??

[Green_not_greed]

Has anybody been watching this TV documentary? And have you been shocked at the documentary's portrayal of the behind-the-scenes intrigue into the decision-making processes that have shaped America and the world?

Sadly no, but will see if I can catch up on line. I have a lot of respect for Oliver Stone.

[rob murray]

Who killed JFK..see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-F-LY1HblmE

Last programme of a TV series 9 part documentary, this last edition was not allowed air time !!!