On History: Tariq Ali and Oliver Stone in Conversation

I needed to bone up on my world history since, mainly, World War I. My grandfathers were in World War I. My father was in the Korean War; he was in the Naval Reserves and got called to duty in 1950. The separation and moving around killed my parents' marriage, meaning that the Korean War had a direct effect on me. Or that Truman's presidency had a direct (negative) effect on me. Probably no other events effected me negatively more than what Truman did during his presidency. I needed to sort that time out to see where I fit. I was a child-of-circumstance, being pushed around by forces way bigger than me--as happens to everyone sometime(s) in their lives.Americans have collective amnesia. We keep making the same mistakes over again. There are virtually no programs on TV that help us become better people. I am able to catch the rare TV documentary worth watching. Other than those rarities, TV is drivel. I don't understand why the networks don't have more history shows--which could really help Americans sort things out. But alas, that's not happening.During the 1960s and early 1970s, I watched Vietnam unfold during each evening TV newscast in horror. After 1975, I thought "We won't do that again." But we did. The American military entered more Vietnams: Iraq and Afghanistan, to name two. I couldn't believe the personal axes to grind of the two Bush presidents: idiots. Americans didn't learn a thing from Vietnam.It appears Americans are doomed because we can't learn from their mistakes; we continually let the US government walk all over us, again and again and again. Americans have turned (themselves) into milquetoasts (couch potatoes). Americans have themselves to blame for their own apathy and ignorance: when the economy tanked, they were surprised and upset, yet had they kept themselves informed and involved, they would have been (and now be) less disturbed, less caught off-guard, have made better financial decisions, and faster to recover career/job-wise. Things are foreseeable when you know history. A person has to dig out information, use their minds to sift out true and false stories from many sources, and make up their own decisions on issues. The info is there. Americans feel that making up their own mind takes too much energy, determination, and time.This small book fills the history gap.

I rarely pick up a new book and finish it in one afternoon. I did with this one. It is informative, revealing, interesting, thought provoking, and well written. Our history books are filled with lies or twists of truths. Many of the falsehoods are brought to light here. This book appears to be a preview of the Showtime documentary debuting in 2012. It's a short book, 105 pages. I found the final chapter filled with interesting and hopeful ideas about what is needed to change things. I find it interesting that the environmental disasters, economic meltdowns around the world, and increased disgust of wars, give some hope that enough people will demand change. If not this empire we live in is doomed. Let's hope it's not too late. History ..."should be learned from---and not repeated. If politicians are only destined to repeat themselves historically, the world has a very sad fate ahead for it". This book is highly recommended. You need to read it with an open mind.

Wonderful book. Kind of like a Howard Zinn kind of thing. A little too realistic for most people because Ali is a mixed bag of political belief's. Intriguing given that his background is very diverse and different from an American understanding. Oliver Stone is no newcomer to political rhetoric either. Saw the two of them on c span's book review. After listening to them more or less debate one another, I stepped up and bought the book. Not a bad move as it is revealing and well put together. If you question history as it was explained to you in high school, then here's a counterpoint. Always healthy to view the other aspect for one sided thinking is the bane of the political scene right now.

This book vividly shows insightful explanations of the crucial 100 years of the modern world. Those who want to understand what and why two world wars happened are strongly recommended to read this book.

Tariq Ali hits the mark so many times in this interview that I have to shout: Well Done to the roof tops!!

You can see the interview on Youtube, a delightful intellectual exchange and so many intriguing facets of history.

Great interview.Buy the Oliver's Stones documentary Untold History of United States.

I have enjoyed Tariq Ali's clear thinking in other books, and he reiterates that in this conversation with an interesting film maker.