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The Russian propaganda machine is more about useful idiots than actual puppets. If you are doing something that creates divisions among their enemies, they try

The Russian propaganda machine is more about useful idiots than actual puppets. If you are doing something that creates divisions among their enemies, they try to encourage that, regardless of your ideological positions. In Soviet times, the useful idiots tended to be communists and environmentalists. These days, right-wing populists and conservative nationalists form a better target audience. And when it comes to propaganda, it's good to remember that the US didn't win the cold war because it had a better propaganda machine. It won, because it had more substance behind the propaganda. As a kid in the 80s, I was exposed to blatant propaganda from both sides. The USSR fell, and I was left with an instinctive dislike to anything that suggests that America is somehow special. But I've never had any doubt of which side I would choose if I had to, because substance is ultimately more important than propaganda.

pphysch 4y ago
> And when it comes to propaganda, it's good to remember that the US didn't win the cold war because it had a better propaganda machine. It won, because it had more substance behind the propaganda. How can you be so sure? Western propaganda was and is extremely potent since the Cold War. The West had Solzhenitsyn, rock stars and Hollywood, NYT to BBC, the cultural amplitude was unstoppable. Meanwhile, USA was abandoning the gold standard and had leaders getting assassinated and embarking on insanely murderous wars of choice in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. What substance? Propaganda effectiveness is the main differentiator.
- jltsiren 4y ago
  Because it wasn't difficult to see, even as a kid. I'm from Finland, which was the USSR's favorite capitalist country. I went to the only school where everyone took Russian as the first foreign language. The Soviets had plenty of reasons to show us their best side, and they sure did try. We did school trips to the USSR before it fell, but as middle class kids, we could also travel around the West. The thing is, no matter what imperialistic BS the Soviets and the Americans did, the Americans at least had the reality on their side. It was the little things that revealed it. Little things such as which countries had very favorable black market exchange rates for the currencies of the other side. Or where you could make money by smuggling everyday goods.

pphysch 4y ago

> And when it comes to propaganda, it's good to remember that the US didn't win the cold war because it had a better propaganda machine. It won, because it had more substance behind the propaganda. How can you be so sure? Western propaganda was and is extremely potent since the Cold War. The West had Solzhenitsyn, rock stars and Hollywood, NYT to BBC, the cultural amplitude was unstoppable. Meanwhile, USA was abandoning the gold standard and had leaders getting assassinated and embarking on insanely murderous wars of choice in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. What substance? Propaganda effectiveness is the main differentiator.

jltsiren 4y ago
Because it wasn't difficult to see, even as a kid. I'm from Finland, which was the USSR's favorite capitalist country. I went to the only school where everyone took Russian as the first foreign language. The Soviets had plenty of reasons to show us their best side, and they sure did try. We did school trips to the USSR before it fell, but as middle class kids, we could also travel around the West. The thing is, no matter what imperialistic BS the Soviets and the Americans did, the Americans at least had the reality on their side. It was the little things that revealed it. Little things such as which countries had very favorable black market exchange rates for the currencies of the other side. Or where you could make money by smuggling everyday goods.