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48 THE TECHNIQUES OF SOVIET PROPAGANDA cipitated by vacillation induced by enemy propaganda. Destruction of the West’s will to resist is 9 primary aim of Communist propaganda, too often assisted ably by well-meaning but anti-anti-Communist elements within our society. PROGNOSIS FOR RECOVERY To undertake the necessary recovery the West must be convinced of its feasibility. To this end two cliches of despair must be dispelled. The first concerns the abject fear sometimes induced by the Soviet mechanism of propaganda and infiltration. Although its formidable dimensions have been emphasized, it should not be concluded that in this field the Soviets are supermen whose accomplishments cannot be matched. It is only that they were the first and only politicians to consciously build a complete machine for the use of tentacular propaganda, organization, aid infiltration. No special genius is uired to use It effectivel , once the method is understood, and the i to use it acquired. It can be implemented by any group baving access to adequate material resources; actually at far less cost com- pared to the Soviets, as it is surely more costly to sell lies designed to subjugate minds by trickery than to sell truth designed to leave minds free, and simply provide antidotes for lies. If 20 intelligent, active, and enlightened anti-Communist Panaman- ians were provided the resources to set up committees, publish papers refuting Communist lies, and for staffs in schools of counterpolitical warfare, a working base for counterpropaganda could be formed for a hundredth of the cost of the military installation in the Canal Zone, and might be far more effective in defense of the Panama Canal. “Propaganda is of no use” is the second unsubstantiated and nefarious cliche, carefully cultivated by the Communist auxiliaries. Why have the Soviets undertaken the colossal effort which has been discussed, if it results only in the production of worthless merchandise? And whe can say where we would be today if the miniscule counter- propaganda effort made by the West had not, to some extent, exposed the tyranny and impostures of communism? . The truth is that counterpropaganda has to date lacked the desired effectiveness, not because of its extravagance, but rather because of its utter paucity compared to the Communist propaganda it has con- fronted. A fortress is not proved impregnable because it cannot be scaled with a footstool. AN IN&TITUTE FOR IDEOLOGICAL RESISTANCE TO COMMUNIST POLWAR Obviously NATO cannot assume direct responsibility for all neces- sary counterpropaganda. However, it appears entirely feasible for it to supply member governments with weapons for political resistance. Highly useful for this purpose would be the creation of an Institute for Resistance to all forms of Soviet polwar. Such an Institute, working on a scientific level and consequently avoiding many of the objections against a State institution “indulging in political debate,” would have the following missions which can here be only summarized, the details of which would require a special study: (a) Collection and study of ali facts concerning the overt and covert Soviet propaganda polwar against the West, detailing its