MovieChat Forums > South of the Border (2010) Discussion > Important film...Thank You Mr. Stone

Important film...Thank You Mr. Stone

posted 14 years ago by LWagada
9 replies | jump to latest

Saw the film at the premiere in NYC; A Q&A with Mr. Stone, Tariq Ali, the producer, and a professor on LA affairs followed.

All in all an important piece touching upon many key aspects of how the leftist rise in Latin America is a direct and cohesive response to the suffering brought on by decades of neoliberalism.

The film is basically an overview of the democratic leftist rise in Latin America in the past decade. The leaders speak for themselves through interviews with Stone affording somewhat of a personal look at who they are. It is certainly refreshing to listen to these leaders speak candidly and authentically about the global economy and the state of their respective countries. Free from the restraints of lobbyists or corporate interests, these leaders come off genuinely passionate about the welfare of the people first. Chavez makes reference in the film expressing hope that such a leader could one day emerge in the U.S. in the mold of an FDR type.

Stone captures the way these leaders care for each others well-being, as well as a desire for regional unity and cooperation, an encouraging sign for the future. Lula's segment was especially brilliant - he is decades ahead of his time.

A number of Venezuelan, and other S.American nationals were in attendance at the screening, and many voiced their sincere thanks to Mr. Stone for backing a project that simply illustrates the truth of what these leaders stand for - a more inclusive and unified road to development in Latin America. I urge all of you that feel the need to relentlessly bash Stone, socialism, and these leaders to put your own psychological dysfunctions aside and look at facts. It's not even all that necessary for you to think critically, just address fact.

Latin America suffered under extreme poverty before these leaders, and there is no instantaneous solution. A relentless resistance has thwarted the movement at every turn, as these leaders attempt to move independently of IMF led development strategy. There is no question that Chavez has an uncomfortable and often autocratic style, but he is surely not a dictator in his actual governance. Chavez will not compromise, and will not put on a mask, an it is precisely this which has elevated other nations in the region to follow suit. These leaders withstand unfathomable international pressure, and they deserve all the credit in the world for what they have done in less than a decade in terms of socialist development. The fact that Mr. Stone has attempted to bring these truths to a larger U.S. audience is necessary and timely. It is a wonderful introduction intended for a U.S. audience who is largely misled about what his happening "South of the Border."

Excellent work

[–] quxeot 14 years ago

I'm not intimately familiar with what is going on in Latin America, though I do know that currently the most economically healthy and politically stable nation there is Chile, which Oliver Stone failed to visit because its economic liberalism doesn't fit with his message.

Nonetheless, I think there're are pretty clear indications of what is going on in South America in the form of emigration. People don't leave their homes lightly and for every dissatisfied person that's willing to face the risks and hardships of leaving their home, there are dozens of dissatisfied people who'll stay put and put up with it. Yet people in Latin America are emigrating north, in droves. They have major emigration problems. The US has the opposite problem. We have far more people than we want to admit (or at least than the more conservative factions want to admit) into our country. The US is certainly a flawed country with its own problems, but the people are clearly indicating that it's preferable to most Latin American countries.

People like Hugo Chavez and Raul Castro may promise endlessly how they're going to improve their respective nations, but until they actually do, one should remain skeptical. I don't know whether these leaders are well meaning or not, but I do know that they're much more bounteous with excuses for why their respective countries aren't doing so well, than in actual reforms that have genuinely improved those countries.

All those American who are willing to seriously praise these leaders should genuinely want to move there. Admittedly, these Americans might be restrained by say ignorance of the language or lack of friends there, but considering how many Latinos make the opposite journey despite such barriers, you'd think at least some of these pro-Chavez and pro-Castro Americans would be packing up to move there. The fact that they don't indicates that there are other factors that they aren't quite acknowledging, like say the opportunity, freedom and prosperity they find in the US. They may make excuses for why they don't find these things in most Latin American countries, but at the end of the day, these are the only clear indicators that one country is doing something right and another isn't. And the arrow of immigration will always point to the country that is doing it right.

[–] heathjones 13 years ago

quxeot,
you sound like a stooge.

America is finished as a going concern. FORTY MILLION without healthcare, wage stagnation since the 70s, a death rattle for your manufacturing, banksters rampaging across the country stealing OUR wealth, nefarious government agencies violating out constitution (TSA, IMF, CIA, FDA, EPA, FEMA etc etc etc)

The JOBS are GONE, the middle class IS GONE, the American Dream is a nightmare, and CHINA & RUSSIA just dumped the DOLLAR.

I don't want to live in a world where corporate predators keep stealing all the wealth for the few. That is how capitalism works, it is its only function PROFIT.

If you are not a gov stooge on here, wake the hell up and look around you. YOUR COUNTRY IS DYING!!!

[–] AtheistRevolution 13 years ago

If China dumped the dollar than we really would be screwed. Since they're really the only country that is buying enough.And Europe is in some bankruptcy domino effect with Ireland being the latest country to need a bailout.US isn't finished yet but after Iraq and Afghanistan wars are over.

I think US influence will be in full scale decline as Asian powers rise up.The West is in decline but not dead.US definitely has the power to fix its problems. But we don't have any leaders that have the balls to do what needs to be done.Such as pulling our military back from most countries.But with the current climate in DC. I think if US does have a huge failure then the government would try to cut social programs first and only cut military when they have no other choice because the money dried up.

Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by rulers as useful.

[–] ManFromSanFernando 13 years ago

@heathjones
I agree. I'm in my 20s- ONLY A FEW OF MY PEERS, outside of those who choose to work on Wall Street, has made any money and most have trouble finding jobs.
My best friend got a jobs because wphe went to an ivy league private school(Harvard,Yale, and other elite schools are really just grooming zones the most compatible with doing service for our elite corporatists- the schools that guarantee jobs and don't require that kind of slave like devotion and obession with school work are the private colleges like Mount Holyoke- Yale is simple the popular face of education, my neuroscientist roommate wasn't impressed with them.
Anyways, the people I know who did get jobs easily are working in very very bad fields- I know an engineer who was very into environmentalism and ended building fracking rigs and a mathematician who went to work for Wall street hedge funds : (

"Trees cause more pollution than automobiles." Ronald Reagan

[–] liutenantsalt 8 years ago

If anyone here is a "stooge", it's definitely you totalitarian Useful Idiots whining and crying about how America is "dying" because we don't have socialist dictatorship.

[–] criztu 14 years ago

put your own psychological dysfunctions aside and look at facts

you are a great man! Bruz Li would sh!t his kimono should he evar face you!

[–] liutenantsalt 13 years ago

>>Free from the restraints of lobbyists or corporate interests, these leaders come off genuinely passionate about the welfare of the people first. <<

Yeah, when the the nice little agitprop director's whitewashing camera turns on. Soon as it stops rolling, they're right back to suppressing individual rights and centralizing governments.

>>put your own psychological dysfunctions aside and look at facts. It's not even all that necessary for you to think critically, just address fact.
<<

Yeah, you have absolutely no place to be soapboxing here, being a credophillic sollipist and all.

[–] MiserblOF 13 years ago

The mix of votes is really interesting. A lot of 10's and 1's, due to the fact that thinking human beings will give this film very high ratings, even if they realize (as I do) that it is overly effusive and likely premature in its praise. The fact is that these leaders are trying to do something noble and decent, and this will violently offend the kind of people who believe that dubya, dick and sarah palin are rational humans.

This film is a MUST SEE. It's too early to tell if these leaders will be successful or if their situation will deteriorate. It must be remembered that many of the world's corporations will be conducting economic warfare against them. One thing is for sure: the US corporate media is certainly NOT going to tell the truth. Not just FOX, which virtually never does, but even the so-called "legitimate" ones that from time to time hit upon some truth by accident or sense of guilt.

I particularly enjoyed seeing the walking corpse pseudo-Christian Pat Robertson using the stooge media to proclaim that "we" should "take out" Hugo Chavez. Imagine the furor in this country if anyone went on TV in South America and suggested they "take out" an American leader!!

[–] liutenantsalt 8 years ago

"The fact is these leaders are trying to do something noble and decent"

Yeah, like install a socialist dictatorship which murders all opposition and keeps the populace enthralled in manufactured poverty while the government elites get fat. That you have such a violent reaction to people having basic access to goods like food and toilet paper says everything about you.

Maybe you should try a little truth and reality for a change, instead of blindly goosestepping after the lies and propaganda created by a totalitarian socialist dictatorship which clearly can't be trusted.