Transcripts For WHUT Democracy Now 20121116

The Academy Award winning filmmaker oliver stone joins us in the studio with his partner Peter Kuznick to talk about their new book and tv series looking at the classified america we were never meant to see. All of that and more coming up. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. Israel is continuing to pound the gaza strip with airstrikes amidst fears that israel could launch a Ground Invasion. At least 21 palestinians have died in the most recent round of violence while three israelis died on thursday. Israel said it launched 150 airstrikes overnight while palestinians fired a dozen rockets into israel. Among the casualties was the 11 monthold son of a bbc arabic journalist. An Associated Press photo showed jihad misharawi clutching the wrapped body of his baby, who was killed by an israeli round that struck his home on wednesday. White House Press Secretary jay carney told reporters thursday speaking later thursday, mark toner said the onus is on hamas to stop the violence. The onus here is on hamas. As jay carney just said from the white house, it claims that the best interest of the Palestinian People at heart, but through its actions, it is showing a far different agenda. Israel has also continue to prepare for potential Ground Invasion of gaza by calling up thousands of army reservists. The egyptian Prime Minister visited the gaza strip friday in a show of solidarity amidst fragile hopes he might broker a truce. Bp has agreed to plead guilty to criminal charges and pay 4. 5 billion in the government to the government for the 2010 deep Water Horizon Oil rig explosion in the gulf of mexico that killed 11 people and caused the worst offshore oil spill in u. S. History. The payment includes 4 billion related to criminal charges, including 1. 2 billion in criminal fines, as well as half a billion dollars in payments to securities regulators. Attorney general eric holder said thursday the settlement broke two records. Bp has agreed to plead guilty to all 14 criminal charges, including responsibility for the deaths of 11 people and the events that led to an unprecedented environmental catastrophe. The company has also agreed to pay 4 billion in fines and penalties. This marks both the largest single criminal fine, more than 1. 25 billion, and the largest total criminal resolution, 4 billion, in the history of the United States. A critics say even their record numbers reflected in the settlement represent just a fraction of bps profits and will not be enough to deter future disasters. Public citizen called a settlement that the attic and a slap on the wrist, noting the deal did not prevent bp from continuing to receive lucrative government contracts and leases. Under the settlement, bp agreed to plead guilty to 11 felony counts of misconduct or neglect in connection with the deaths of 11 rig workers as well as a separate felony count for lying to congress. Separately, on thursday, the government pursued charges against three bp employees for their role in the disaster. The top bp officers who were abroad who were aboard the real big the drill rig were charged with manslaughter and negligent after it was clear they were they become aware well wasle signs othe unsafe. Bps former Vice President for exploration in the gulf of mexico was charged with the attraction of congress and making false statements about how quickly the oil gushing from the well. President obama paid a visit to new york theres a disservice the damage after Superstorm Sandy devastated the region 2. 5 weeks ago. Thousands to remain without power as the death toll from sandy in the u. S. And canada has climbed to 128. Obama pledged to help with both the short and longterm recovery. There is a lot of shortterm immediate stuff that has to be dealt with, and were going to make sure that we stay here as long as people need that immediate help. That is femas primary task. We will be coordinating with state and local governments to make sure people are getting shortterm help. There is longterm building that will be required. Top congressional leaders are heading to the white house today to begin talks with president obama on an agreement to avert the socalled fiscal cliff of tax cuts and spending hikes set to kick in at the end of the year. Obama has vowed to reject any extension of the bush era tax cuts for the wealthiest americans as part of the deal, will send republican leader Mitch Mcconnell thursday warned he would oppose any attempt to raise taxes. Ahead of the talks, a group of lawmakers led by vermont senator Bernie Sanders called for a deficit Reduction Plan that would preserve benefits like social security. He spoke to the press conference on thursday. Send a loud message to the leadership in the house and senate and president obama, do not cut social security. Do not cut medicare. Do not cut medicaid do not cut 2 q i do not often Ronald Reagan. Social security has nothing to do with the deficit. Social security is totally funded by the payroll taxes levied on employer and employee. If you reduce the social security, that money would not go into the general fund to reduce the deficit. Ronald reagan. Texas congressmember and former republican president ial candidate ron paul has given his Farewell Speech to the house of representatives. And more than 45 minute address wednesday, he assessed his own legacy, blasted u. S. Policy at home and abroad and posed a series of questions. Why cannot people understand that were always destroys wealth and the ready . Why is there so little concern for the executive order that gives the President Authority to establish a kill list, including american citizens, of those targeted for assassination. Why is patriotism thought to be Blind Loyalty to the government and the politicians to run it, rather than loyalty to the principles of liberty and support for the people. Real patriotism is a willingness to challenge the government when it is wrong. Congressmember ron paul, retiring at the end of the year. The Associated Press has revealed a unit of honduran soldiers accused of killing a 15yearold boy in may were trained, vetted, and equipped by the u. S. Government. Ebed yanes was shot dead by shoulders who chased him when he drove through military checkpoint on his fathers medical motorcycle. The aps investigation details an alleged attempt by officers to cover the killing. It turned out the truck used in the chase had been supplied by the u. S. And the unit had been vetted by the u. S. As free of corruption and humanrights abuses. A state Department Official told the ap this week the u. S. May withhold as much as half of all its aid to honduras for its concern over human rights violations. To human Rights Groups have said they submitted evidence to the International Criminal court regarding targeted killings and other human rights abuses that have taken place in honduras since the 2009 coup that ousted president zelaya. The center for Constitutional Rights and the International Federation for human rights submitted information about the targeted killings of journalists, union leaders, land activists, and human rights lawyers amidst what they say is a climate of rampant political persecution and impunity. Underreport orders has found a one afghanistan has devastating psychological consequences on afghans, particularly children. Many children born around the 2001 invasion suffer from nightmares, depression, and incontinence. The news comes as the u. S. Opens talked thursday with afghanistan over its continued role in the country after most foreign troops withdraw in 2014. A bribery scandal involving walmart could be widening from mexico to multiple other countries, the Company Reported thursday. The New York Times had previously uncovered how walmart paid mexican officials millions of dollars in bribes to win construction permits in mexico. Now the company says it has uncovered enough evidence to merit bribery concerns about its Business Practices in china, india, and brazil. The news comes as hundreds of walmart workers walked off the job this week to protest low wages, poor benefits, and alleged retaliation from management. Workers a promise to wait a wave of strikes and protests next week, culminating in a mass of their action on black friday. The Spanish Government has approved a twoyear suspension of evictions for some of the neediest homeowners unable to pay their mortgages amidst an economic crisis that has seen hundreds of thousands lose their homes. Spains mortgage crisis was thrown into the spotlight after two recent evictionrelated suicide. Spains finance minister outlined the changes thursday. The changes came after growing Mass Movement pressured the government to act. Activists said thursdays reforms still fail to address the issue that spains homeowners remain saddled with debt even after they lose their homes. And ireland, thousands have taken to the streets in protest following the death of a woman who was denied access to abortion. Savita halappanavar had begged doctors for an abortion after finding out she was already miscarrying her 17week pregnancy. Doctors refused, reportedly telling her ireland was a catholic country. The 31yearold died from sceptic shock after doctors finally removed the fetus once its heartbeat had stopped. Ireland, which has some of the most restrictive aboion permits abortion if a womans life is at risk, but does not specify how severe the threat must be. The Irish Government is vowing to clarify the law. On thursday, the deputy Prime Minister called for the change before parliament. I have said very clearly that we need to bring clarity to this issue. We need to ensure that in this country that we do not have a doubt which raises in a hospital, in a set of circumstances which puts an mothers life at risk. Those are some of the headlines. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman with juan gonzalez. Welcome to all our listeners and viewers from around the country and around the world. Juan, it is wonderful to have you back after your back surgery and recovery. It is great to be sitting next to you. It is great to be back. It has been a few months. I want to thank all the democracy now listeners and viewers for the emails they have sent the recommendations for my recovery from back surgery and her own experiences, sharing their own experiences of their back problems. It is great to be back, great to be walking again. I was bedridden for about a month before my surgery. Perhaps maybe we should publish a book of democracy now listeners and viewers back problems and how to solve them. I did not realize there were so many. Israel has continued to pound the cause a strip with airstrikes amidst fears that its rocket launch a Ground Invasion. At least 21 palestinians have died in the most recent round of violence while three israelis died on thursday. Israel said it launched 150 airstrikes overnight while palestinians fired dozens of rockets into israel. Israel has started to draft 30,000 reserve troops in a sign the assault may soon widen. Among the casualties of israeli violence was the 11monthold son of a bbc arabic journalist. An Associated Press photojournalists jihad misharawi clutching the wrapped body of his baby, who was killed by an israeli round that struck his home wednesday. Earlier today, the egyptian Prime Minister travel to gaza to condemn the israeli attack. We cannot stay silent about this tragedy. The entire world should be responsible regarding this aggression. Egypt. Egypt, the revolution, will not spare any effort to stop this aggression. And achieve a sustainable truce. Meanwhile in washington, were joined by two guests, the Award Winning palestinian journalist Mohammed Omer, and we want to teach you for being with us, back again, thank you so much. Tell us what is happening on the ground in gaza right now. You are welcome. Let me start with im in the southern part of the gaza strip s Just Launched two missiles, killing one person and a person has just arrived to the hospital. He was 24 years old. That brings the number of air strikes last three days to 502. This resulted in the killing of a 23 killing of 23 people, most of whom more civilians. We need to talk about the humanitarian situation in the gaza strip. This is a situation targeting a population of civilians, israel is shooting in a fishbowl. There is no shelter and nowhere to run for the general population. Because that is living in a very dire situation. The u. N. Has decided to shut all of these schools tomorrow as well as the ministry of education, Higher Education call for the university to not open tomorrow. Gaza announced the need for medical supplies. I was speaking to a number of doctors in gaza city and are in bad need for 192 types of medicines that are not available in the stocks of the ministry of health or the hospitals. There is the need for 450 items of medical supplies, or what they called disposable medical items. If these needs are not met by the next day or two, there will be a big humanitarian crisis in the gaza strip. The situation is deteriorating. The targets are the civilians. The last one was a 10monthold baby child who was killed by any israeli missile. The missiles are falling as i speak to you. Breaking news coming out from the medical crew next to me, the f16s are targeting the beach camp in the east of gaza city at the moment. Are targeting16s the beach camp in the west of gaza city at the moment. That is breaking news that is happening as we speak. Mohammed omer, the reports are the leaders of the hamas governments are in hiding, fearing possible attempts to assassinate them as well. Is the general population or the superior force is preparing for a possible israeli invasion again . There is no way to determine that because walking the streets or driving in the streets, he really do not see anyone. The streets are entirely empty. I was just driving from gaza city to the south, and the streets are entirely empty. No one is walking in the streets because the air strikes are bombing everything that moves. Everything moving in the streets is being attacked. This makes things quite difficult for the palestinians in the gaza strip. There are talks about the big invasion targeting the gaza strip. I can confirm to you in the southern part of the gaza strip, there is an unusual military buildup. Were some tanks and bulldozers are gathering around the borderline, but we dont know yet the operation or if the larger scale operation on the ground it did not start yet, but it is potential with the israeli threat at the moment. To clarify the last breaking news i give you about two minutes ago, the targets in the west of gaza city is a car driving in gaza city. It is a car driving in gaza city. So far, the medical crew are not aware who was the target and cannot determine if there are casualties. There are casualties, but we do not know the number yet. Im looking at a piece in the Washington Post that talks about the killing of 11month old son of bbc journalist jihad misharawi. Not only was his little baby killed, but the israeli round hit his fourroom house, killing his sisterinlaw, wounding his brother. According to bbc middle east bureau chief, who was with him in gaza, he said were all one team in gaza. After spending a few hours with his grieving colleagues he wrote question asked here is, it is reckoned to a man riding on a moving motorbike, as they did last month, how did jihad misharawis son get killed . I want to turn as well to gershon baskin, the initiator of the secret talks between israel and hamas for the release of is really soldier gilead shalit. Gershon baskin, can you talk about the assassination of the military had of hamas and the significance of this as reported in haaretz . What jabari received just before he was assassinated . To bari as a leader of the military wing of hamas, was the person who was called on by the egyptians and his own leaders to enforce previous ceasefire understandings reached between israel and hamas after each round of rocket fire emerged over the past years. With increasing intensity of the rocket fire in the shortening of the periods of ceasefire between myself and my counterpart in hamas, we Work Together on the shalit press the exchange, the Deputy Foreign minister proposed to the parties they enter into a longterm ceasefire understanding. How to deal the emerging situations defined by israel as an apparent terrorist attacks. I had written a draft about eight months ago the was circulated around to israeli officials, hamas officials, the egyptian intelligence and the nine nations. It was rejected or it was decided by him as an is to at that time not to make a decision on it, but about a month ago when the intensity of the fighting continued, they decided to give it another chance. We spoke together and tried to make the proposal that i had initially written a little less complex. Easier to understand or easier to implement. It was designed as a trial period dream three to six months. I met, it last week in cairo and talked about showing it to the hamas officials. He showed it to some hamas officials sitting in cairo and they told him to go back to gaza and joy to the military and political officials back in gaza. He did that on wednesday morning, was showing it around to jabari and other people. I was supposed to receive from him that evening a copy of the draft he had written in arabic for me to deliver to the israeli side and egyptian intelligence, which i was unable to do in the end. Because he was assassinated. Thats right. I want to read from haaretz about the israeli assassination of the hamas military commander jabari. The article is titled israel killed its subcontractor in gaza. Begins jabari was a sub your response to that article and placing ahmed jabari in the context of the security situation in gaza over the past few years . I dont want to be misinterpreted, ahmed jabari was not a man at peace. He was not an angel in any way. He was a warrior, a fighter, the person responsible for the hamas coup detat conducted in june 2007 when the brutally executed some of the Palestinian Authority security personnel. He was a Strong Military man who refused to speak to israels directly. I only had contact with him through third parties. He never talked about peace. The truce were talking about was not a Peace Agreement but lets be clear, ahmed jabari was a deeply religious muslims who believe in the cause of the hamas and the destruction of israel. But over the last year or two, he saw a continuation of the policy of having periodic fighting with israel that left always at every around between 10 to 30 palestinians killed in gaza, a lot of destruction, and almost no one killed in israel. The lack of balance of power and force is so obvious here that ahmed jabari came to the conclusion with others in hamas this was futile, a feudal way to fight israel and wanted a time out the wanted to build their forces, continue to smuggle in forces to the tunnel another was to build up their rocket potential, antiaircraft missiles, longrange rockets. This was ahmed jabaris feelings. My thought was, israel had to to the constant under the threat of rocket fire from gaza. There are several ways to achieve that quiet. One is to do what is still is doing now, assassinate people, to put 2. 5 Million People or one put 6 Million People in gaza under rocket fire, to put another Million People in israel under rocket fire, to kill a lot of people into a lot of damage and in the and will create some quiet for some time. Or we could try we have never done before and that is engagement, dialogue, and tried to reach longerterm understandings. I dont know if it would have worked. I dont know if ahmed jabari would help to the agreements or the other factions would have given into that, but my point t. Maybe we will have a dynamic it will have a dynamic of its own set of escalation, will bring about the escalation and a new kind of relationship with gaza. Gershon baskin and Mohammed Omer, i would ask you both, the response for you each are respectively to these attacks right now. Gershon baskin in jerusalem and Mohammed Omer on his ways tway o kenyon this progress there is more to this attack it more breaking news, the israeli air strike to started with a motorcycle in the west of gaza city as we speak. Ambulances are on their way to evacuate the people who are targeted. There is another new israeli f 16, we do not know if it is a missile or the armed drones which fired a new round of missiles on the northern part of the gaza strip. Let me just mention Something Back to the humanitarian situation. Today, the egyptian Prime Minister made a visit to the gaza strip. Kandil was able to see the destruction done to the palestinian population. He was at the Hospital Holding one of the babies who was injured. We could see the Prime Minister, his tshirt had on a lot of blood from the child who is injured and actually died in the hands of the egyptian Prime Minister today as he was speaking to the media. The other thing i want to mention about the crossings in the gaza strip, the rafah crossing is open, others are closed. Some are close even for humanitarian cases, according to the United Nations. Counting, there are 12 houses that were completely demolished and the last three days. About 250 houses, including mosques, roads, schools, and farmland, are being targeted even kindergarten for children. Where it are they going to hide when the israeliis f16s are firing missiles day and night . Gershon baskin . It is the same situation in israel. I have an iphone application which warns people when a missile is being fired into israel. Im getting these almost every other minute. It is very good for geography lessons, because im learning every name of the town in southern israel. Here we have the civilian population under fire, not targeted at military targets. Theyre firing at the civilians in israel. They do not know why theyre being targeted from gaza. From the israeli point of view, their understanding the civilian population has been targeted by thousands and thousands of rockets since the beginning of this operation, since the assassination of ahmed jabari, more than 500 rockets since entirely to the civilian population. But not one of the targets is military. I want ask you, four years ago, after the president ial election and before president obama was inaugurated, the Israeli Government launched an invasion of gaza and pull the troops back just before president obama was inaugurated. Once again, after a president ial election, the Israeli Government has been taking action against the population in gaza. The difference now is, the situation has changed dramatically in the arab world, especially in egypt. What is your sense of the Egyptian Government, the test this poses to the Egyptian Government and its relationship both with israel and the palestinians . I think by the nature of the operation were seeing their pose to cast led four years ago is that israel is sticking taking more care for collateral damage. According to mohammed, 540 so far in gaza, and 23 committee 24 the people he mentioned, killed in gaza, that is significantly the and cast lead. I have not seen the names of those People Killed, but i anderson and most of them are combatants. I dont want anyone to be killed, and i think this whole operation could of been avoided. The reality is, it is your is considering its relationship with israel is considering its relationship with egypt as a crucial role. Mitigating and negotiating between israel and hamas, including with the release of the lead shalit. Gilead shalit. And sunday evening, receiving the had informing of a ceasefire. The relationship with egypt is israels most strategic asset. A fullfledged war in gaza would certainly jeopardize the peace treaty between israel and egypt. We just have 10 seconds left, Mohammed Omer. Are you still there . But the majority of the people who were actually targeted are civilians. Were talking about two women among the 23 killed, six children, and two elderly people. As i speak right now, there are more people with ambulances arriving to the hospital with more casualties who are civilians. The targeted civilians israel is attacking civilian populations in the gaza strip. Mohammed omer and gershon baskin, thank you for being with us. Gershon baskin, initiator of the secret talks between israel and hamas for the release of israel is soldier gilead chile. And Mohammed Omer, won the Martha Gellhorn prize for journalism in 2008. When we come back, oliver stones untold history of the United States. [music break] this is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman with juan gonzalez. We turn now to the untold history of the United States. Academy Award Winning filmmaker oliver stone has taken on three american president s in jfk, nixon, and w. The vietnam war veteran, he was decorated with a bronze star and purple heart. He has tackled the most controversial aspects of the vietnam war in his classics platoon and port on the born on the for the july. He has explored the latin america through his films, salvador, comandante, and south of the border. Oliver stone, historian Peter Kuznick from American University, have teamed up to produce a 10part showtime series called, oliver stones untold history of the United States. It also features a companion book with a similar name. Drawing on archival findings and recently declassified documents, the filmmakers critically examine u. S. History from the atomic bombing of japan to the cold war to the fall of communism, and continuing all the way to the obama administration. This is the trailer for the showtime mini series. History is exciting and i want to make it as exciting as a candy. We take a history subject to make not only dramatic, but we are compassionate. I always felt there was a disconnect about what is officially reported and what actually happened. This is the key to the whole series, find out how we got to where we are and who we are. It is great, great story. That was the trailer for the 10part showtime series called, the antal history of the United States. The First Episode aired monday night and will let the air and the nights at 8 00 p. M. , also available on demand. For more, oliver stone joins us and were joined by Peter Kuznick his coauthor peter. Youve been working on this for years. Why . From the 1940s, it was a big job, 4. 5 years come off and on, i did three feature films and to documentarys during that time, but peter was on we started in 2008 and it has been 4. 5. I recently discussed wallace and the bomb when use teaching at the American University and i was there in one of his glasses. We talked about making a documentary about an hour, hour andahalf. He is an expert on weaponry, especially the atomic bomb. Wallace from he can explain, is the length of what we have dropped the bomb . That is the origin still, i daughter and private school is still learning that we dropped the bomb because we had to, because the japanese resistance was a fanatic and we would have lost Many American lives. There is no alternative to that story. Were beginning the process from chapter 1, to come increasing they did not have to drop this because of strategic reasons. Why . Because the japanese were readalready defeated. Theyre looking for a way out of the war. A telegram from japan was intercepted asking for peace. The japanese emperor . Yes. Everybody else knew the war militarily defeated, looking for a way out. The people who knew that the best for the russians because they tried to get them to intervene on their behalf and surrender. Their strategy was to walk in the American Invasion and in foot heavy damage. The russians invaded and that undermined the diplomatic strategy and military strategy. That is what really ended the war. We had already been bombing japanese cities. We have firebombed over 100 cities. From the japanese standpoint, whether it was 200 plants and 1000 bombs, or one, it did not change the equation. It did fundamentally changed it. And august 9. Germanarmy from the frontier. It wiped out the Japanese Army i think in todays or one day. It was moving toward japan. If you let a month ago by, if we are really interested in ending this war and using russian troops, it is perfect. We can do it. This clip challenges the prevailing logic of world war ii in the socalled good war. Generations of americans have been taught the United States reluctantly dropped atomic bombs at the end of world war ii to save the lives of hundreds of thousands of young men poised to die in an invasion of japan. But the story is really more complicated, more interesting, and much more disturbing. Many americans view world war ii nostalgically as the good war in which the United States and its allies triumphed over german nazis and italian fascism and japanese militarism. Others, not so blessed. Remember, world war ii is the bloodiest war in human history. By the time it was over, 60 million to 65 Million People lay dead. An estimated 27 million soviets as well. Between 10 million to 20 million chinese. 6 million jews. Over 6 million germans freed 3 million nonjewish poles. 2. 5 million japanese, and 1. 5 million yugoslavian is. Austria, britain, france, italy, hungary, romania and the United States each, to between a quarter million and a half million dead. Oliver stone, the good war. And of course, the war with must carnage in the history of the world. It is a huge story. That is where we begin. Britain and the u. S. And the robbery between them, and a lot of school kids do not know the British Empire is a dominant in higher. So many resources around the world and churchill is finding, among other things, for the retention of the colonys and all to the middle east, the oil supplies. Greece very important. North africa. Egypt, india. Singapore. That is what he is trying to get back. He never starts a second front for about two years. It was promised to stalin in 42. Meanwhile, stalin is rolling the germans back and winning the war as the british and americans are perjury packing in retaining the british colonies. The british, for example, go into africa in 1944 after they have liberated, so to speak, but ending the fighting street battles with the communist resistance fighters who fought heroically against the nazis. We put in a greek working with the nazis and put them into the premiership. Most americans think the United States was at war, but the reality is, throughout most of the war, the british and americans were fighting 10 german divisions and the russians a lone warfighting 200 german divisions. That is why the churchill said the russians to tear out the guts. Lets go more to your series. This is about Henry Wallace. Franklin Delano Roosevelt Vice President and agricultural commerce secretary, suggesting midwestern United States would have put america on a radically different trajectory had his path to the presidency not been blocked by the Democratic Party leaders in 1944. Seeing the war clouds gathering clearly on the horizon, roosevelt decided to break with president and run for a third term in 1940 against strong antiwar republican candidate wendell willkie, a corporate attorney from indiana. The stakes were high. The nation might soon be at war. Roosevelt weighed his options and chose his controversial secretary of agriculture, Henry Wallace, as his running mate. Wallace had overseen an extraordinary return to agricultural prosperity during the great depression. These policies have been at the heart of the new deal. For the urban poor, wallace also have provided food stamps and school lunches. He instituted programs for Land Use Planning and soil conservation. He carved out his credentials in the new deal years as an outspoken antifascist. Instead of the scientific communitys best ally, wallace spoke out strongly against the building up of falls racial theories in rebuke of the hitler policies in germany. George carver, born into slavery, not a chemist specializing in bosnia, first introduced me to the mysteries of plant fertilization. Spent a good many years breeding corn because the scientist deepen my appreciation of plants in a way i could never forget. Superior ability is not exclusive possession of any one race or any one class, provided and are given the right opportunity. Democratic party bosses mistrust his devotion to principle over politics. It looked like the wallace nomination would go up in flames when roosevelt, angry and frustrated, wrote a remarkable letter to the delegates in which he flatly turned down the president ial nomination. The Democratic Party has failed when it has fallen to the control of those who think in terms of dollars instead of human values. Until the Democratic Party shakes off all the shackles of control fasten upon by the forces of conservatism, reaction and appeasement, it will not continue its march to victory. The party cannot face in both directions at the same time. Therefore, i declined the honor of the nomination for the presidency. His wife saved the day. The first president s wife ever to address a convention, she told disgruntled delegates that they faced a grave situation now. The party bosses buckled and put wallace on the ticket they would come come back with a vengeance. I just heard the news of my nomination, and theres just one thing i want to say. I am confident that under the leadership of president roosevelt, we shall have a united Democratic Party, a victory in november, and security for the american people. And that was the voice of Henry Wallace, nominated as Vice President. Oliver stone, your inspiration for this whole series was about Henry Wallace. Why . Talk about his significance. The inspiration was the atomic bomb. I grew up during that time. I was born right after. The bombed ship all of our lives. We lived in fear of it as we were in school. Air raids, the cuban missile crisis. It haunts our policy. We were in the cold war up until 1989, 1991 with the soviets. It continues on. There was no peace dividend. I am wondering what happened in the 1989, 1991 period of way. Nto the 1990 do we have to keep doing this . Wallace was a key figure. He was supposed to be Vice President in 1944, the popular choice, 65 of the democratic voters wanted him. It is like a frank capra movie where everything is waiting for you on the inside. On one particular night, it comes down to a moment in time, like nine seconds when wallace almost makes it. He almost squeezes and rid the crowd is cheering for him ri. The convened the meeting and overnight, he does not end up as Vice President. Roosevelt buys and a little unknown party hack, really, called harry truman, becomes a leader of the world with all the power, and like george bush, frankly, he blows it. Henrywallace later run for president. Unsuccessfully. The real drama is the 1944 convention. Wallace was a visionary. Nobody knows Henry Wallace anymore. He was an extraordinary man. In 1941, said the 20th century must be the american century. Wallace counters the Vice President. He gave a famous speech 20 said the 20th century must be this entry of the common man, calls for the world wide peoples revolution. Have to wipe out the monopoly of the cartel the less the monopolies and cartels, and imperialism, raise Living Standards around the world. That was the vision he had. The party austin dated him, as did the wall street people. The antilabour people hated him, the people against civil rights hated him, and people against womens rights hated him. He was the examplar of everything good of the Democratic Party. We will be back in a moment. [music break] this is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. Our guests are threetime oscar winning director oliver stone as well as a historian Peter Kuznick. They have written the book, untold history of the United States. I want to ask about president reagan. In your book, the have a chapter title death squads for democracy. This is Ronald Reagan in 1983 giving an address on Central America. Strategic importance of Central America from ordering as it does and the caribbean, are a lifeline to the outside world. Twothirds of all our Foreign Trade in petroleum passed to the panama canal and the caribbean. In the european crisis, at least half of our supplies for nato would go through these areas by sea. Talk to us about Ronald Reagan in Central America policy. Ronald reagan set american policy back about 20 years. He took the cold war to a new level, almost to the edge of world war. He said constantly that the soviet union was ahead of the United States in every military capacity. He pumped up we never were. In these seven years since the cold war, we were always ahead. We were the underdog and our own mine. In his spine, it becomes the bulwark of being threatened again, theyre coming in. That they were very dangerous to the underbelly of texas in arizona, they will come up. His word about one kamala and honduras going red and seven he is worried about honduras and guatemala going red. I made a film called salvador and i saw soldiers the remind me of my own experience in vietnam. Soldiers Walking Around lost, white skin and all that saying, what are you doing here . I asked him about vietnam bred they did not want to discuss it. Death squads, terror, the right wing parties of Central America took their nine from reagan. They killed a lot of what a mall was bloody. It was a dirty war. And you went back years later and told the story of the change in latin america. In the 1990s. That comes out of the economics of Ronald Reagan. South america is decimated by the International Monetary fund and world bank. The people turned against it. These are democratically elected new leaders in the 21st century. They came in because of the disastrous policies of Ronald Reagan. I want to get to president obama. In the last chapter of your book, it is called obama managing and wounded empire. You are fiercely critical of him, but he also supports him. I support him because the military was more frightening. It is a limited choice americans have. We no longer live in a National Security state. I think it is a Global Security state. Obama has made it clear, as did romney, it is about american power. We are the indispensable nation in the world. It is a form of american exceptionalism. He made it clear he was going to take trips and so forth out of afghanistan and iraq, but committed on a full spectrum dominance to a containment of china. He said it. Hillary clinton has said the 21st century will be americas pacific century. It does not end. Youll see obama, i think, will make alliances, treaties with countries all around the world breathed he is already extending the bush security plan. All around the world. He is already extending the bush security plan. Peter, do you want add something . We were so critical of bush for doing surveillance against people without judicial review. Obama is targeting and killing people without judicial review. Were acting as judge, jury, and executioner. This is open on cnn on the secret drone war. There has to be a target that is authorized by our laws. It has to be a threat that is serious and not speculative. It has to be a situation in which we cannot capture the individual before they move forward on some sort of operational plot against the yen and the states. This is an example of where i think there has been some is reporting. We want to capture if we can because that then the king gather intelligence. A lot of the terrorist networks, the most dangerous was the target the u. S. , operate from various regions and it is difficult to capture them. And we have got to make sure in whatever operations we conduct, we are very careful about avoiding civilian casualties. There is president obama speaking. I was just thinking about the yemeni cleric awlaki, his 16 yearold son who was killed. He was killed two weeks after his father was killed, also in a drone strike. People will hate us more for doing this and invading the sovereignty of pakistan, yemen, some in the countrys. The United States is acting with impunity. The bigger issue is simply there has never been, in the history of empires, and they have all fallen, known as a monopoly on anyone. Whether it is the atomic bomb that is copied or the hydrogen bomb, or in this case, predator drones, made by other people and will be coming this way. We have 800 bases around the world under this empire. Were very vulnerable. We have created hatred. When we started our drone attacks in yemen, there were 300 members of al qaeda there. Now there are 700 or 800 it backfired. We just made people hate us. We refer to cia operators to target people in pakistan, we refer to them as of splats, People Killed there. And it pakistan is or human beings . To operators here, they are but splats. We have to join the rest of the world with a comprehensive peace plan. We have to be a member of the United Nations and not an outlier. Oscar Award Winning filmmaker oliver stone and historian Peter Kuznick, i want to thank you for being with us. Their book, untold history of the United States. The 10part mini series on showtime ri. Democracy now is looking for feedback from people who appreciate the closed captioning. Email your comments to outreach democracynow. Org or mail them to democracy now p. O. Box 693 new york, new york 10013. [captioning made possible by democracy now ] democracy now ] tavis good evening. Tonight, a conversation with twotime oscar winner sally field. She is once again in the oscar conversation for her role as Mary Todd Lincoln conversation for her role as Mary Todd Lincoln