Indoctrination Lessons from the Kremlin

We’re subject to it under the guise of “public service announcements” to get vaccinated, wear our masks, and stay inside. We see it in movies, on TV, and all over our social media feeds.

But the most effective propaganda is the kind that goes unnoticed.

The Russian government understands this. It’s why they’re putting on a full-fledged campaign to “infect” their youth with pro-Russian patriotism. And unsurprisingly, their vehicle of choice is public schools.

“We need to know how to infect [children] with our ideology… Our ideological work is aimed at changing consciousness.”

That’s the latest from Sergei Norokov, a high-ranking bureaucrat at the Kremlin, the power center of Russia’s government.

Through nationwide efforts to smoosh pro-Western sentiments and increase support for the war against Ukraine, Russian public school students have been exposed to all manner of propaganda.

One student interviewed for the New York Times shared that her computer class was suddenly swapped for video footage of Ukrainians surrendering to Russian forces. A teacher admitted she was instructed out of the blue to start teaching new lessons with a strong pro-Russian bent, even administering quizzes that marked students as incorrect for showing sympathy to Ukrainians.

“Patriotism should be the dominant value of our people,” said Aleksandr Kharichev, another Kremlin official, at a teacher workshop hosted by Russia’s education ministry. He defined patriotism as “readiness to give one’s life for the Motherland.”

Creepy, isn’t it?

The keenest puppet masters understand that if you want to change the fabric and future of a nation, you start with the kids.

And while we don’t exactly have our government mandating classes on “traditional values” or “patriotism,” we have our own problems.

I talk a lot about how bad the government is at giving our kids a good education. But for once, I want to talk about something it’s doing well: that is, stripping kids of their agency, critical thinking skills, and ability to reason.

These concepts are being replaced by shallow lessons in social justice, critical race theory, and “speaking your truth.”

Here’s why: the more worked up we are about our identities, victimhood, or how American history is, like, totally racist, the less apt we are to notice our actual rights being taken away.

Our civil liberties have been reduced to rubble over the last few decades. Our money manipulated until it’s worthless. Our ability to live free from goverment control stripped away.

And rather than fighting back, many Americans choose to call for even more tyrannical control over our lives.

If you’re like me, fed up with being pushed around by the government, don’t side with the aggressors. Do something radical. Break free from the public school system and its propagandists.

If that means pulling your kids out and homeschooling, awesome! We’re ready with a whole bunch of books and other content to bolster your curriculum with facts that stand the test of time.

Our books are designed to supplement any kind of learning experience. And yes, that includes public school. No matter your situation, you’re not alone.

Pick up your first copy of a Tuttle Twins book today, and join millions of moms and dads in a revolution to teach kids the ideas that matter.

It’s only the future on the line…

— Connor