The world political and colonial empires at the beginning of the 20th century. The USA resuming control of most of the former Spanish empire around the globe plus Great Britain and Germany's ideology at that time. It continues on into the Russian revolution when Lenin became leader. This is a bonus episode that precedes the other 8 episodes of the series.

Many events from the 1920s that led up to the establishment of the leaders prior to and during world war II. Most everyone knows about prohibition but few know about the US bankers profiteering extensively by loaning money to post world war I Germany who then paid its war reparation to Britain and France who in turn paid their war debts to the US. USMC general Smedley Butler speaks out against these acts of profiteering. He is suspiciously left out of modern US history.

Executive producer Oliver Stone and author/political philosopher Tariq Ali share a wide-sweeping discussion on American history, the myth of national benevolence, corruption by way of power, the roots and entanglements of the military-industrial complex, post-World War II international events that came to bear on fears and anxieties in the United States, the wars, conflicts and social upheavals of the 20th century, the naiveté of young citizens, the ever-developing narratives of history, and much, much more.