[D. S. Mayfield]

The point is, the propaganda channels marched on, even when the populace was well aware of it.

So it will be, here.

Agreed! Several years ago, Theodore Dalrymple made this astute observation:

"In my study of communist societies, I came to the conclusion that the purpose of communist propaganda was not to persuade or convince, nor to inform, but to humiliate; and therefore, the less it corresponded to reality the better. When people are forced to remain silent when they are being told the most obvious lies, or even worse when they are forced to repeat the lies themselves, they lose once and for all their sense of probity. To assent to obvious lies is to co-operate with evil, and in some small way to become evil oneself. One's standing to resist anything is thus eroded, and even destroyed. A society of emasculated liars is easy to control." -- Theodore Dalrymple

[Lazamataz]

I’ve read this before. It absolutely makes sense.