WASHINGTON -- Seated at a table between a painting of Austrian economist Ludwig von Mises and a stack of right-wing books with titles like, “Why We Must Abolish the Income Tax” and “The Dangers of Socialized Medicine,” Oliver Stone, the iconic Hollywood filmmaker with a soft spot for Latin American strongmen, was in a strange place.
A line of college students attending the “International Students for Liberty Conference,” an annual gathering of college libertarian clubs from around the world, snaked through the Grand Hyatt basement for pictures, autographs and an opportunity to give the 67-year-old Academy Award-winning director an earful.
To the befuddlement of the attendees, many of whom consider Stone a “socialist” who pals around with dictators (such as the late Venezuelan President Cesar Chávez), Stone had accepted an invitation to speak Saturday at the conference. His panel's focus: "imperial overreach" and "the national security state," a topic on which even an anarchic libertarian and a staunchest leftist can find common ground.
Stone’s history of support for former presidential candidate and Texas Rep. Ron Paul notwithstanding, he’s also become known in political circles for his visceral hatred of the modern Republican Party and for defending the administrations of Fidel Castro in Cuba and the late Hugo Chávez in Venezuela. In 2009, he produced a film called “South of the Border” that offered a generous portrayal of leaders in five Latin American countries, including Chávez and Cuban President Raúl Castro.
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