works of railamerica, we take a look at video great things on the soviet union. is a 15rnal propaganda minute film from 1995, and telling what the cia argues is a vast system of indoctrination that discourages individualism and encourages passive acceptance of chrome and roles from cradle-to-grave. in 2011, the information management service classified over 200 documents regarding intelligent on the soviet union. the cia provided the reagan administration, including enemies were video briefings created by the director of intelligence for policymakers.

>> the soviet communist party has not faced a serious internal threat to its political rule since the 1920's. yet after years of force sacrifices by the population, shortages of food and clothing process. housing remains inadequate. intellectual and artistic expression are stifled. and growing corruption reaches all levels of society. the soviet people respond with the public displays of cynicism, but they almost never openly challenge the authority of the leadership. the soviet regime does not hesitate to enforce its role through the violent suppression of individual liberty, but it prefers to use less onerous methods of control like various propaganda techniques. the use of propaganda from the cradle to the grave helps except at least a passive acceptance of its people. the soviet regime the sum in its propaganda through a vast network, operating under the supervision of the parties central committee. this network encompasses over 4000 newspapers, a large book publishing empire, a nationwide radio and television system, and an incessant stream of public

lectures. for example, about 15 million lectures are given each year by the knowledge society, a major component of the propaganda network. the regime also works through mass public organizations such as the communist youth league and trade organizations. the education of propaganda component of the armed forces. and the national education system, to indoctrinate there is elements of the population. moreover, already propaganda professionals are dispatched continuously to enforce ideological conformity within the vast network, and to provide the appropriate party lines. socialist indoctrination soviet style is introduced early in a child's education. each classroom contains its own lenin corner, set up to deify him as the greatest socialist revolutionary in the world. in class, children learn to express their love for lenin on holidays. soviet elementary education is classified by a suffocating

paternalism. assurance of personal security is offered by the state in return for strict conformity and suppression of individual expression. in our classes, for example, all children are required to draw the same object in exactly the same way and using the same colors. also, there is no ambiguity for soviet schoolchildren. there are only right and wrong answers. the repetition of the so-called right answer is the basis of soviet learning. in this manner, the natural spontaneity of soviet children is sternly but but generally controlled by the teacher. it encourages behavior considered proper by the state. individuality has always been

discouraged in russia. the head or patriarch of the family sets the rules of behavior, and dissent has not been tolerated. this is continued by the state. soviets are continuing the tradition and are encouraged to suppress individual aspirations in favor of collective or state interest. as a result, they often appear to be fearful of individual expression, and many have grown dependent on a paternalistic government which is more than willing to make decisions for them. but the leadership's dream of a socialist society where everyone works in unison to build communism and where discipline

and order are self-imposed seems more distant than ever. because of this, the regime is compelled to issue an endless stream of rules and regulations in an effort to direct the lives of the soviet people. as one some day it up, what is not forbidden is compulsory. the people have become adept at getting around regulations and knowing which rules to break and which to obey. in recent years, soviet leaders have become increasingly concerned over a growing popular projection of collective social responsibility, and a trend toward the private pursuit of individual activities such as jazz, religion, underground art and the second economy. the regime has responded by stepping up efforts to reduce contacts with the west and persuade the population that such contacts are antisocial. soviet television regularly offers generous portions of good news regarding the achievements of ordinary citizens, often

depicting them as heroes. the leadership is well aware that the welfare oriented features of the system are those that have brought the most positive response from the people. consequently, the regime gets heavy publicity to improvements in the standard of living and plays down public suspicions that the soviet economy has stagnated in recent years. while admitting that the soviet union lacks behind the west in providing consumer goods, it's propaganda machine explains this i saying that russia had been a backward country at the time of the revolution and progress toward the socialist idea had been halted by world war ii. in no way does the regime blamed

its problems on deficiencies in the system. at the same time, propaganda plays on the high-priority most soviet citizens place on a personal security, i claiming that the distribution of income, education and health benefits are more equitable than in capitalist countries. two underscore this claim, the regime points to the lack of job security and the existence of unemployment in western market economies. the propaganda machine also exploits crime statistics from western countries and makes it appear that the u.s. in particular is a lawless society

where the individual's personal security is constantly at risk. the soviet media go to great lengths to portray leadership as thoroughly committed to the welfare of the common man. shortcomings in the supply of consumer goods are attributed to individual cases of managerial and efficiency and corruption on the part of lower-level functionaries. the leadership provides excuses and scapegoats for its economic problems in an effort to deflect criticism from higher officials and the communist system. the identification of russian nationalism with soviet communism is an important aspect of soviet propaganda. perhaps the achievements of the soviet union since the revolution have been purchased at such great personal and national sacrifice, the soviet

union's status as world power allows the regime to draw from a deep well of the brush and a personality, love of country. they have played on this impulse with a considerable degree of success, and by cleverly tying russian nationalism to communism, has produced soviet patriotism. the result is an important social bond, even among members of national minority groups. the party fully utilizes propaganda, portraying soviet involvement in the third world as benevolent aid to countries trying to fight so-called western imperialism. the victory over nazi germany in world war ii provides an inexhaustible source of pride in the average citizen. the party identifies itself with that great achievement by prescribing the war is a struggle behalf of the soviet people under the guidance of the communist party. this theme will receive greater emphasis on the 40th anniversary celebration of germany's defeat in may, 1985. the regime also has received considerable propaganda benefit from the soviet union's exploits

in space and in international sports competitions, and it often attributes this to the superiority of socialism. sports, moreover, is seen as an outlet for popular energies and a distraction from the hardships of daily life. the soviet union has often been referred to in the west as a closed society. the regime's ability to insulate the population from exposure to foreign information and ideas not only confirms this notion, but provides it with a major prop for the soviet system. xenophobic nationalism was not discovered by the bolsheviks, however. it has its roots in old russia. throughout russian history, contact with foreigners were discouraged, and it was practically impossible for a foreigner to live or operate a business in the country. until 1703, all domestic and foreign news was deemed a state

secret, and foreign news has been regarded with deep suspicion ever since. in recent years, however, expanded contacts with the west and technological improvements in modern communications have weakened the regime control of information. soviet citizens to they greater access of information from abroad, particularly through radio broadcast and from unofficial sources within their own country. this has enabled them to compare their standard of living to other standards, and therefore to become more aware of alternatives to the soviet system. for this reason, the soviet regime in recent years has increasingly sought to make it's propaganda more credible in order to counter the influence of western ideas. moscow has decided to release more information about the procedures of professional soviet organs, and to hold periodic western-style news conferences.

by releasing more information about foreign and domestic offense, the regime and put its own interpretation on these events, thereby combating what the population hears from western sources. they made a particularly vigorous effort in this regard following the downing of flight 007. while this appeared to backfire in the west, soviet citizens, to judge by reporting from western embassy officials, accepted the soviet version as correct. the party leader has called for an increased propaganda campaign to resist what he calls the full-scale information and propaganda invasion launched by the united states against the soviet union. this campaign features greater vigilance against the alleged efforts of western propaganda to undermine the ussr internally. in addition, soviet counter propaganda denigrates all

dimensions of life in the west, charges the united states was acting to increase the danger of nuclear war and accuses washington of engage in and engaging in a white friday of transgressions in the international arena. these allegations included fomenting terrorism in the third world and establishing hegemony over latin america. at the same time, the regime has acted more vigorously to suppress unofficial sources of information within the country, such as underground publications and to reduce the population's sensibility to four news by jamming foreign radio broadcasts and limiting contacts between soviet citizens and foreigners. in this regard, the regime has increased its efforts to

reinforce a psychology of distrust of a foreigners and to acquaint any criticism of the soviet system with disloyalty to the motherland. moscow has recently broadened the definition of treason in a way that makes virtually any association with foreign residents suspect. the most ruthless propaganda, however, is reserved for the soviet dissidents, those who openly and brazenly dare to challenge the regime's authority. no effort is spared to isolate, ridicule and publicly humiliate such individuals. given the reaction to this treatment by the average soviet citizen, which is manifested i either silence or outright support for the government, the regime has largely succeeded in portraying the dissidents as this loyal and fully deserving imprisonment and exile. furthermore, the regime often compels any defector who returns to the soviet union to publicly denounce his or hers decision to

leave and to denigrate the west as an undesirable place to live. the return of stalin's daughter is a good case in point. the television interview with a man who defected and returned is another vivid example. the regime also glorifies the kgb and border guard, picturing them as heroes to protect the country from foreign subversion. such propaganda is intended not only as indoctrination but as intimidation, to remind the people that the state is fully capable of repressing those who step out of line. in sum, soviet citizens to not buy all the official video tells them. their daily experiences demonstrate to them the falsity of much soviet propaganda. even when it is not believe, however, propaganda is a popular instrument of the regime.

it defines the limits of permissible discussion and sets parameters on what is considered legitimate and what will not be tolerated. >> we have a facebook question from peter. >> is one in particular. >> you can be featured during our program. join this conversation on facebook. >> it is the time of year to finance our 2018 studentcam documentary competition winners. . this year's theme is the constitution and you. create a video demonstrating why it is important. our competition is open to all

middle school and high school students grades six through 12. they can work alone or work in a group up to three. be rewarded and cash prizes. $5,000 will go to the student or team with the best overall entry. the deadline is january 18, 2018. help us spread the word to students. >> this weekend, on the presidency, greg robertson discusses franklin d. roosevelt and eleanor roosevelt. this led to the forced relocation of japanese americans to internment camps during world war ii. here's a preview.

>> has far as the president's background and personality, it is more subtle. it is hard to say what influence the habit we can say that fdr had a past history of sherry popular prejudiced. years before he was elected president, britain was about having a set of arguments that he was proof. he publicly insisted that japanese were not able to be a simulated into american society. i'm quoting him. i will give you my best fdr. this is from his article in asia magazine.

>> so far, as americans are concerned, as a whole, they honestly believe that the mingling of white with oriental blood is harmful to our future. while it is not clear how much he continued this through the. of the war, he was in correspondence with the chief anthropologist at the smithsonian institution about japanese skulls. he agreed that the reason that japanese people were biologically so aggressive and evil was because their skulls were less developed evolutionarily than the skulls of other groups and he was thinking about intermarriage in order to dilute this tendency. if you justify mass action on the ground, they are not really americans they will be less inclined to care

about their citizenship rights and up to intervene to protect them. >> watch the entire program on sunday at 8:00 p.m. and midnight eastern. this is american history tv. >> announcer: heather penney was one of the first d.c. pilots to scramble to andrews air force base after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. her father john penney was a united airlines captain. major heather penney talks about her experiences that day. the smithsonian national air and space museum hosted this event, which is about one hour and 20 minutes long. christopher: good evening. i am chris browne, the director of the national aviation air and space museum. since 1982, this lecture series has spotlighted for the 140 of the biggest names in modern aviation history. this is presented free of