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Abstraction · 61-69, M
In Australia we didn't have a big sense of impending nuclear disaster as in other places (in my experience).
* But we were brought up to believe in the 'domino theory' - that one by one countries would fall to communism unless we stopped them. So this justified the Vietnam war (and all kinds of propping up of vicious right wing dictators and unjust overthrow of democratic regimes I later found out). The government, the media, all seemed to tell the same story and most of us believed it.
* We believed that people in communist countries were being 'brainwashed' by their governments. The idea that our government and media were not telling the full story didn't seem likely. Ironically that's why we missed much of what was going on. Behind the iron curtain, you KNEW they were twisting truth. We didn't.
* But we were brought up to believe in the 'domino theory' - that one by one countries would fall to communism unless we stopped them. So this justified the Vietnam war (and all kinds of propping up of vicious right wing dictators and unjust overthrow of democratic regimes I later found out). The government, the media, all seemed to tell the same story and most of us believed it.
* We believed that people in communist countries were being 'brainwashed' by their governments. The idea that our government and media were not telling the full story didn't seem likely. Ironically that's why we missed much of what was going on. Behind the iron curtain, you KNEW they were twisting truth. We didn't.
LookingForTheSummer · 31-35, M
@Abstraction Interesting comment. What most people don't know is that people on both sides get brainwashed. Politicians need to justify their actions somehow.
Abstraction · 61-69, M
@LookingForTheSummer True - but when propaganda is clumsy, as it was behind the iron curtain, people saw through it. Although they told me they wouldn't even talk to their children about it in case they let something slip. People would disappear for less. One colleague from Romania knew a man who saw a hare running away and said, 'He's off to the Party Council.'
Secret Police took him away and he was imprisoned until communism fell.
Secret Police took him away and he was imprisoned until communism fell.