Much of Stone’s book focuses on threats posed by government secrecy and militarism. Oliver Stone: 'I find Obama scary'

Each presidential cycle gets shrouded in the ultimate question, “Are you better off than you were four years ago?”

In Oliver Stone’s new book — “The Untold History of the United States” — the filmmaker, along with historian Peter Kuznick, argues that, “The country Obama inherited was indeed in shambles, but Obama took a bad situation and, in certain ways, made it worse.”


Much of Stone and Kuznick’s book focuses on the threats posed by government secrecy and militarism throughout history and, in an interview with POLITICO Friday, Stone said that things aren’t getting better.

( Also on POLITICO: Oliver Stone's new book blasts Obama)

“It’s scarier,” said Stone. “I grew up under Eisenhower … and it’s gotten scarier because of the Bush and Reagan people and now I find Obama scary in a way that I had not done in 2008.” Stone cited reports of American drone attacks in Yemen and Pakistan as examples, as well as the president’s so-called “ kill list.”

“The president, himself, has become judge, jury and executioner around the world,” said Kuznick.

The gloomy vision provided by both Stone and Kuznick during the interview prompted Stone to, at one point, jokingly ask, “You’re depressed by hearing us? I understand…”

Despite their critiques of the current administration, both still adopted a “best of two evils” attitude towards Obama.

“I believe he has a heart, I do,” said Stone. “But what follows him? He’ll be out of office in four years. Who’s going to be in office in 2020 when the weapons are worse? If another administration comes in like the Bush or Romney administration, what’s to prevent them from using these weapons in a far more sinister way?”

“I see more potential in Obama, as critical as I am,” said Kuznick. “I don’t believe that’s truly his essence and his soul. I think if we mobilized forces and pushed him the right direction, he’d be happy to be pushed.”

“The Untold History of the United States” has also been turned into a docu-series for Showtime, with the first installment airing Monday.