Quote Originally Posted by Crocodile View Post
I would respectfully disagree. The propaganda was very effective. I'm not sure how old are you, but if I ask you a couple of the Soviet propaganda keywords you will remember right away. "Израильская военщина провела очередную карательную операцию?" "Самосовские головорезы?" "Фидель Кастро посетил Советский Союз с очередным дружественным визитом?"
Ok, but if the Soviet propaganda was so good, how come it did not work on you Crocodile? You were never really with the programme, and left when you could.... And if the propaganda was effective, then why did the USSR disintigrate? If people had believed it, then they would have thought "whatever the problems here, it is still better than imperialism & capitalism...." Instead they thought "where can I buy a pair of Levis'...." (Btw, commercial messages is a form of propaganda too!)

One thing that I like about the approach of communist countries to propaganda, is that they call it what it was. I.e. as far as I am aware, communism actually calls propaganda by its right name and admits that it is doing that, agitation etc. If you see a red banner with a slogan, you know what it is, right - and you can choose to think "Bullshit".

The creepy propaganda is that which you are not aware that you have been subjected to.
Assumptions which you just have, but you can't really explain why, where they come from.

I mean, there have been some serious American propaganda victims here, haven't there? People with horrendous prejudice and poorly informed views on Russia, the USSR or something else.
Then somebody tries to talk some sense to them and they get really agitated!
And it is obvious that these people have their heads full of crappy Hollywood action/spy dramas, or Fox News reports on Russia.

Are there really people in Russia with such a poorly informed and prejudiced views on the USA? I don't think so, although I don't for sure.

I honestly think US is much better at propaganda than the USSR was... With all their patriotic films, horrible portrayls of their "enemies" in films and the News.. Making kids learn storybook style anecdotes about American historical figures, "founding fathers" loyalty pledges every day in school, and singing of national anthem with much drama. I don't think the USSR quite matched their level and scale of patriotic and ideological indoctrination!