were suppressed, and the rhetoric of public life constantly reaffirmed the doctrine of the leading role of the Communist Party, the superiority of socialism, devotion to the Soviet Fatherland, and the correctness of party policies not only at home but also abroad. The Soviets sought loyalty by basically brainwashing their citizens in every possible way. Their methods did not work for a variety of reasons. An important aspect was fear. By instilling fear, the Soviets instantly detracted from what they were attempting. Forcing someone to comply with something out of fear is like torture, and the person will tell you what you want only to stay out of trouble, not because they truly believed in it. A large portion of the Russian people did not really believe in Communism, and the quick spread of ideas after Gorbachev’s glasnost campaign proved this. Also, by controlling what everyone could and could not say, the party actually helped other political attitudes, because anything that cannot be done or discussed automatically gains a lustre it didn’t have before. By ruling with fear and completely controlling everything, the Soviets efforts at socialization were counterproductive, no matter how many citizens said they believed in Communism when under its rule.3.There are many major challenges facing Russia in its attempt to establish a democracy and capitalist economy out of a socialist base. One of the biggest is stabilizing the economy, which under communist rule was controlled by the party, but now had no legal bodies to regulate industries. Without regulation, inflation skyrocketed and the shock involved caused many to rethink capitalism. Another problem is effectively privatizing state-owned industries. How to spread the wealth of these industries that were supposed to be owned by everyone is another large challenge facing Russia in its transition. If Russia cannot establish a good economy, then there will never ...
