How did the people of the Soviet Union overcome the Communist propaganda?

[Hardkill]

As damaging as the radical right-wing propaganda machine and the extreme anti-mainstream propaganda machine have been to the United States, the pervasive and deeply ingrained Communist propaganda that permeated every aspect of life in the Soviet Union was far more destructive. This propaganda apparatus systematically manipulated public opinion, employing a range of tactics – from outright disinformation to subtle psychological manipulation – to indoctrinate Soviet citizens with the idea that authoritarianism, if not totalitarianism, was essential to achieving communist ideals. As a result, the Soviet people were left with deeply entrenched beliefs that were resistant to change, even in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

1. Control of media: Communist regimes tightly controlled all forms of media, including newspapers, radio, television, and film, to ensure that only approved messages were disseminated. The Soviet government jammed foreign radio broadcasts to prevent the spread of dissenting ideas.

2. Censorship: Strict censorship was enforced to suppress any dissenting voices, opposition views, or sensitive information that could undermine the regime. Books deemed counter-revolutionary or anti-Soviet were censored, confiscated, or burned.

3. Ideological indoctrination: Communist ideology was deeply ingrained in education, from primary schools to universities, to shape young minds and ensure loyalty to the regime.

4. Public events and rituals: Communist regimes organized public events, parades, and rituals to promote their ideology, showcase their power, and foster a sense of community and shared values. Sports events and achievements were used to promote communist ideology and Soviet patriotism.

5. Propaganda through science: Scientific achievements and discoveries were promoted as evidence of the Soviet Union's superiority and the power of communist ideology.

6. Personality cults: Communist leaders often created personality cults, presenting themselves as infallible, wise, and benevolent leaders, to consolidate their power and authority.

7. Agitation and Propaganda (Agitprop)

• Agitprop trains and ships: Special trains and ships traveled throughout the Soviet Union, spreading propaganda and promoting communist ideology.
• Agitprop brigades: Mobile teams of agitators and propagandists performed plays, songs, and other cultural events to promote communist values.

8. Symbolic Propaganda

• Red flags and banners: Red flags and banners with communist symbols were displayed prominently in public spaces.
• Monuments and memorials: Monuments and memorials were erected to honor communist leaders, events, and ideals.

9. Repression and Intimidation

• Show trials: Public trials were staged to demonstrate the Soviet government's power and to intimidate potential dissenters.
• Forced labor camps: Millions of people were imprisoned in forced labor camps, often for perceived counter-revolutionary activities or thoughts.

 

Despite being subjected to intense Communist propaganda throughout their lives, enough people in the USSR ultimately resisted its influence. They demanded an end to communist rule and successfully advocated for the independence of every Soviet republic.

I've searched extensively for explanations online of how this happened, but none of the sources I've found provide a clear answer. It still is unclear to me how people were able to overcome the extremely intense and pervasive propaganda and groupthink that had shaped their worldview for so long.

Edited Thursday at 05:58 AM by Hardkill

[puporing]

You can say this about a lot of kinds of groups, ways of thinking (in hindsight and after the fact).

The only way to become crystal clear about all of that is to keep on awakening.

[Leo Gura]

I grew up there. I don't even think the groupthink was much worse than FoxNews.

The bottom line is that you can't really control free speech. It like water finds it's way through every crack. Repressing a large population with disinfo is exhausting.

Gorbachev passed some pretty bold liberalizing reforms in the mid 80s when I was born. Gorbachev was a pro-Western liberal. Which is why Putin hates him.

People who lived under communism saw how ineffective it was. You can't bullshit people about their daily lived experience. Well, unless you're  North Korea.

Edited Thursday at 04:05 AM by Leo Gura

[Hardkill]

1 hour ago, Leo Gura said:

I grew up there. I don't even think the groupthink was much worse than FoxNews.

The bottom line is that you can't really control free speech. It like water finds it's way through every crack. Repressing a large population with disinfo is exhausting.

Gorbachev passed some pretty bold liberalizing reforms in the mid 80s when I was born. Gorbachev was a pro-Western liberal. Which is why Putin hates him.

People who lived under communism saw how ineffective it was. You can't bullshit people about their daily lived experience. Well, unless you're  North Korea.

Ah, okay. I gotcha.

So, how do you think the groupthink in the USSR back then compared to what we've had going in our country for many years? 

Edited Thursday at 05:19 AM by Hardkill

[nerdspeak]

USSR had serious flaws, but if you account for where Russia was in 1917, and all of the war and craziness, by the 1970s they accomplished a lot. 
 

Most Soviet citizens had guaranteed access to basic food, shelter, medical care, and education, which we still haven’t achieved in the USA. 

[Bobby_2021]

Soviet style communism had too much corruption and lies that it crumbled from it's own weight. I don't think anyone really defends it and the world has come to accept this reality.

But I would like to have seen happening is a genuine reform from the inside out of USSR that could have saved it from dissolution. But Chernobyl disaster and Afghanistan quagmire in the midst of failing economy was the nail in the coffin for the great USSR.

2 hours ago, nerdspeak said:

Most Soviet citizens had guaranteed access to basic food, shelter, medical care, and education, which we still haven’t achieved in the USA. 

After the USSR collapse, Russian citizens got what is not a fully capitalist neoliberal system nor a centralised communist system but something that is neither but is not as good as either. They got trapped in a limbo. 

They had genuinely good stuff that we never got to see. Perhaps their collective was too underdeveloped and had poor vision and understanding of human nature.

[nerdspeak]

@Bobby_2021 instead of breaking up they should have done things more like Deng in China.

But with the spike in oil prices the Soviet leaders got greedy, and Gorbachev was very naive. 

China also learned a lot from the USSR breakup. Hindsight is 20:20.

Edited Friday at 09:27 AM by nerdspeak

[Husseinisdoingfine]

 

[Bobby_2021]

5 hours ago, nerdspeak said:

@Bobby_2021 instead of breaking up they should have done things more like Deng in China.

But with the spike in oil prices the Soviet leaders got greedy, and Gorbachev was very naive. 

China also learned a lot from the USSR breakup. Hindsight is 20:20.

Unfortunately China is also heading in the same direction. Back then there were several factions within the communist party all of which has to be catered to. And the dynamics of the society and political climate that led to explosive growth is no more.

Xi Jinping is going full on dictator mode and they only care about the CCP, not China nor the people of China. 

China did their best to learn from the USSR but they are treading a thin line now. The decisions they make in the next 4 years are going to make or break them. 

[Emerald]

My husband is from Hungary which was under Soviet rule when he was born. He was born in 1977, so he experienced growing up under Soviet rule until he was 12 or 13.

He said that the Soviets were already pretty weak by the time the 80s rolled around. And he says that everyone knew it was bullshit. He didn't know anyone who was idealogical in their allegiance to the Soviet Union.

But they had parades and Soviet rituals stuff in school. Everyone complied but no one really took it seriously.

The thing with the Soviet Union is that there was a lot of top-down force to pressure people into being patriotic. And less so in the later days. And so, it didn't quite take hold of people. It was just the government that was enforcing the allegiance.

At least that was evident from his perspective... which may have been limited since he was a kid when all the Soviet stuff was happening.

He moved to America in the year 2000, and he was really shocked at how nationalistic we are with every other house having an American flag out front because he wasn't used to people being patriotic by choice. And he thinks that America is a far more effective in its nationalist propaganda in that sense.

[Hardkill]

2 hours ago, Emerald said:

My husband is from Hungary which was under Soviet rule when he was born. He was born in 1977, so he experienced growing up under Soviet rule until he was 12 or 13.

He said that the Soviets were already pretty weak by the time the 80s rolled around. And he says that everyone knew it was bullshit. He didn't know anyone who was idealogical in their allegiance to the Soviet Union.

But they had parades and Soviet rituals stuff in school. Everyone complied but no one really took it seriously.

The thing with the Soviet Union is that there was a lot of top-down force to pressure people into being patriotic. And less so in the later days. And so, it didn't quite take hold of people. It was just the government that was enforcing the allegiance.

At least that was evident from his perspective... which may have been limited since he was a kid when all the Soviet stuff was happening.

He moved to America in the year 2000, and he was really shocked at how nationalistic we are with every other house having an American flag out front because he wasn't used to people being patriotic by choice. And he thinks that America is a far more effective in its nationalist propaganda in that sense.

Oh, very interesting.

So, did he say that the people in his country really hated the whole USSR regime?

[Emerald]

21 hours ago, Hardkill said:

Oh, very interesting.

So, did he say that the people in his country really hated the whole USSR regime?

They either disliked it or were neutral about it. But I don't ever recall him saying that they hated it. They just didn't believe in any of the pageantry around it and saw through it.

Though, lots of older folks had a hard time transitioning away from Communism because they'd gotten used to the way it worked. 

My sense is that, by the 80s, all the Soviet stuff had become background noise in Hungary.

[Hardkill]

2 hours ago, Emerald said:

They either disliked it or were neutral about it. But I don't ever recall him saying that they hated it. They just didn't believe in any of the pageantry around it and saw through it.

Though, lots of older folks had a hard time transitioning away from Communism because they'd gotten used to the way it worked. 

My sense is that, by the 80s, all the Soviet stuff had become background noise in Hungary.

I see. So, it was the younger generations of the people back then who were more inclined to move on to a new modern system for their country.