Hollywood’s truth: Oliver Stone's 'W.' unmasks US Empire and its hostility toward Iran

By Hassen Lorgat

We all grew up on stories about cowboys and crooks Hollywood served up—John Wayne and his ilk. Many of those stories pitted "cowboys" against "Indians," coaxing us to side with the "brave white men," the pioneers.

But we grew up, too, and our sympathies increasingly shifted toward the indigenous owners of the land and the bravery of Geronimo and others.

Still, Hollywood wasn't entirely a force for bad stuff or right-wing ideology only. Some filmmakers and actors have used their platforms to explain in their own small way how US power functions and how it attempts to reshape our world.

Today, most of us recognize Hollywood as an integral part of the US empire’s "ideological state apparatus." At its most effective, it serves as "soft power," globalizing American “values,” culture, and political ideologies.

In the age of Artificial Intelligence, gaming, and social media, the landscape has become almost too complex to navigate – with or without popcorn. It has become a deadly horror show with inexplicable ratings.

We must ask: what happens when that apparatus is weaponized through memes, misinformation, and disinformation?

A recent Listening Post segment invited us to look at how both the US and Israel are deploying memes and mass media in their war of aggression against Iran.

The segment offers sharp insights into the "gamification of war," showing how this profit- and ideology-driven machine was employed by US President Donald Trump to help sell an unjust and illegal war to the world.

The producers invite us to go "beyond traditional tactics," noting that both the US and Iran are increasingly using memes, AI-driven animations, and "trash-talk" mockery designed for maximum virality.

Interestingly, the editors suggest that Iran’s straightforward reporting often beats the Western hype.

Why W.? My primary focus here, however, is the film W. One specific scene in W. outlines US strategic thinking regarding oil and gas (a strategy now updated to include critical raw materials).

Directed by Oliver Stone and written by Stanley Weiser, the film stars Josh Brolin as President George W. Bush and Richard Dreyfuss as Vice President Dick Cheney. The plot follows Bush’s political ascent and delves into the invasion of Iraq, the "WMD" myth, and the demonization of Saddam Hussein, the American ally turned villain.

A brief diversion: In 2000, the younger Bush—whom I nicknamed "Shrub"—successfully ran for president. After the 9/11 attacks in 2001, he labeled Iran, Iraq, and North Korea the "Axis of Evil." In 2002, his administration sought evidence that Saddam was building nuclear weapons. When no evidence was found, they manufactured it, using a decorated Black general to sell their falsehoods to the world. Colin Powell became the fall guy.

The film depicts a White House staff largely in lockstep, with the exception of Secretary of State Powell, who warns that invading Iraq would destabilize the region.

Cheney and then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld overrule him, arguing that war would secure US dominance and spread "democracy" in West Asia.

It was around this time that Samuel Huntington’s "clash of civilizations" narrative gained its dangerous traction.

The focus eventually shifts to Iran. Oliver Stone recently reflected on his film on Facebook, writing: “In our film ‘W.’ (2008), we tracked the US-Iran problem in this scene, inspired by Cheney’s prophetic presentation in the war room to Bush’s war cabinet.”

The Dialogue: Setting: The White House Situation Room. Cheney gives a PowerPoint-style briefing to Bush, Powell, Donald Rumsfeld, Condoleezza Rice, and others.

Cheney (pointing to a map): "Where do you see a lack of American presence? What’s missing? Iran. The motherlode.

Third largest oil reserve in the world. Forty percent of the world’s oil goes right through here—through the Strait of Hormuz.

Control Iran, control Eurasia, control the world.

Empire. Real empire."

We work and pray for a just end to this unjust and illegal war. We must commit to becoming critical consumers of the overwhelming media designed to confuse us.

Information is too important to consume in isolation—discuss what you read and watch with your friends and comrades.

Hassen Lorgat is a South Africa-based social justice and media activist.