[dblock]

I grew up in the USSR. There were multiple layers of the system. I was somewhere in the middle with my father being a well known poetry translator and grandfather writing propaganda. We listened to the BBC and Voice of America without reprimand, because of our status. Neighbors would face serious consequences for this. At 12 I was sent to the US to understand how capitalism is harmful. I think North Korea is making the same bet of creating a system in which some know all the truth and still work for the regime.

[xxpor]

>At 12 I was sent to the US to understand how capitalism is harmful.

Did they think that would work?

[dblock]

I think so. But if anything I learned to be wary of propaganda on both sides.

[fooker]

Maybe. Should be enough to look at just healthcare, at least nowadays.

[xxpor]

I doubt a 12 year old would know/care about that though. They would notice that almost everyone had a car, there were no shortages in grocery stores, houses were much bigger, etc.

[hulitu]

You start also to notice that there are no differences in the propaganda narative between your home country and the country you visit. And that some people live on the streets. In the end you need to choose your masters.

[reader_mode]

Compared to USSR which had people resorting to cannibalism due to starvation ?

[hulitu]

Or to US where people live and die on the street ?

[einpoklum]

Well, it's not that difficult to understand why (the US brand of) capitalism is harmful by wandering around the US for a while.

... problem is, it may not help convince you that Stalinism / "Actually existing Socialism" is the answer. (In case you don't recognize this term: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real_socialism)