Kelly Liang & Lu Peng

10/17/2013
4
Topic: State Control of Education & the Media
Who: Joseph Stalin and the government under his control
What: Under Stalins control, people were taught only the glorified sides of the leader and his
policies, and were stressed of the importance of sacrifice and hard work to build a Communist
state. The media only reported good news, and changed the truth, leaving the people blindfolded.
Where: the Soviet Union
When: 1929 ~ 1991
Why: People were easier to control if they thought well of their country. If the people like what
the governments are doing, they will not oppose thus helping the leader gain total control.
Biased Opinion Articles:
Pro-Stalin:
Thanks Comrade Stalin for Our Joyful Life!
These days, education is extremely important for kids to learn about ALL the great things
about communism and our dear Comrade Stalin! Communism is indeed the one and only great
way for people to live, thus we should be, and we are truly proud that our children are brought up
this way. I an sure older citizens can remember the cruel harsh days we had before Stalin,
compared to the glorious days we have now. It is such a pity that older people werent born in
this environment, but its not too late! We still can devote all our lives to this great way. Just
think about how our country is leaping forward right now! Our economy had improved and we
have gained a greater place in the world, we would have never achieved this without our dear
leader. Think about it, just think about it! Have we ever seen or heard of a single mistake Stalin
made? No! Have we seen or heard one single person questioning Stalins way to rule? No! We
need you to help us build a better life, and in order for you to do that , you have to open up your
textbook and see with your own eyes, and feel with your own hearts the great deed of our nation.
Who needs a God when we have Stalin!
Con-Stalin:
The Inescapable Intoxination
As we all know, Stalin is a totalitarian leader who would do anything to maintain his
power. One of the ways to achieve this goal is control of education, especially that of the
younger kids, so that by the time these kids has grown up, their mind will be stuffed with nothing
but all the extremely biased ideas about how glorious and wonderful Stalin and his communism
are, even though we all know that these are TOTALLY NONSENSE! The poisonous youth
groups absorb youths and then turn them into a bunch of obedient machines that please Stalin!
There is no way one can escape from this indoctrination, for it is technically everywhere--In the
morning, one goes to school that teaches ideals of communism and Stalins policies; at home,
one reads the newspaper that includes nothing but propaganda about Stalin and communism, or
listens to the radio that has only one station about the update of factory production, etc. As time
goes by, people would get used to this absurdity, and then become maniacs of this absurdity
created by Stalin. They worshipped Stalin like they worshipped God, but of course they did not
worship God anymore, for Stalin persecuted every religious leaders for ridiculously feeble
reasons. Indeed, Stalin was nothing but a seriously ill-minded paranoid whose indoctrination was
as thousands times poisonous as cyanide.