Oliver Stone Outlines ‘The Death of This Planet And The Extinction Of Us All’

The 'country has become more prosperous for many but in the name of that wealth we cannot justify our system as a center for the world’s values'

By Christopher Hooton

February 20, 2017 "Information Clearing House" - "The Independent" - It’s essentially expected of actors, writers and directors to slam Trump when accepting awards now, but Oliver Stone took it a step further at the Writers Guild Awards on Sunday night, taking aim at the entire political system, incorporating both sides of the spectrum.

Accepting the Laurel Award at the ceremony, he reminded younger filmmakers: “You can be critical of your government and your society.

“You don’t have to fit in. It’s fashionable now to take shots at Republicans and Trump and avoid the Obamas and Clintons. But remember this: In the 13 wars we’ve started over the last 30 years and the $14 trillion we’ve spent, and the hundreds of thousands of lives that have perished from this earth, remember that it wasn’t one leader, but a system, both Republican and Democrat. Call it what you will: the military industrial money media security complex. It’s a system that has been perpetuated under the guise that these are just wars justifiable in the name of our flag that flies so proudly.”

 

Ploughing on, he got darker, declaring that the “country has become more prosperous for many but in the name of that wealth we cannot justify our system as a center for the world’s values. But we continue to create such chaos and wars. No need to go through the victims, but we know we’ve intervened in more than 100 countries with invasion, regime change, economic chaos. Or hired war. It’s war of some kind. In the end, it’s become a system leading to the death of this planet and the extinction of us all.

“I’ve fought these people who practice war for most of my life. It’s a tiring game. And mostly you’ll get your ass kicked. With all the criticism and insults you’ll receive, and the flattery too, it’s important to remember, if you believe in what you’re saying and you can stay the course, you can make a difference.”

He finished up with some wise words about the motivation for creating:

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“I urge you to find a way to remain alone with yourself, listen to your silences, not always in a writer’s room. Try to find not what the crowd wants so you can be successful, but try instead to find the true inner meaning of your life here on earth, and never give up on your heart in your struggle for peace, decency, and telling the truth.”

The Snowden director is often vocal about politics when given a podium, previously discussing drone warfare at the Gotham Independent Film Awards in November.

The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House.