Well, hell. What can one say about Oliver Stone’s latest reworking of history other than, “Oh, he’s so controversial!” Perhaps we should just let Stone do the talking:

Director Oliver Stone’s upcoming Showtime documentary miniseries “Secret History of America” promises to put mass murderers such as Stalin and Hitler “in context.”

“Stalin, Hitler, Mao, McCarthy — these people have been vilified pretty thoroughly by history,” Stone told reporters at the Television Critics Association’s semi-annual press tour in Pasadena.

“Stalin has a complete other story,” Stone said. “Not to paint him as a hero, but to tell a more factual representation. He fought the German war machine more than any single person. We can’t judge people as only ‘bad’ or ‘good.’ Hitler is an easy scapegoat throughout history and its been used cheaply. He’s the product of a series of actions. It’s cause and effect … People in America don’t know the connection between WWI and WWII … I’ve been able to walk in Stalin’s shoes and Hitler’s shoes to understand their point of view. We’re going to educate our minds and liberalize them and broaden them. We want to move beyond opinions.”

While attempting to sell this 10-part documentary Showtime series upon an audience of overeager journalists, Stone also offhandedly mentions that “Hitler is just a man who could have easily been assassinated.” Then, the master of controversy expresses hope that this “Secret History” miniseries could eventually end up as part of university curriculums. Yeah, that sounds like a spectacular idea.