The access to space was yet another opportunity for the two countries to exert superiority over the other. Soviet Union, by winning the Space Race, demonstrated technological and scientific superiority over the U.S., which showed how despite the amount of pride the U.S. has for capitalism supporting their advancements, communism could do much better. The Soviet dominion of space was also a national threat to the U.S. because space technology paired with nuclear weapons could mean the destruction of the States. The initial Soviet victory in the Space Race took a toll on the American public’s morale. In response to the first satellite in space, the American people in the 1950s even “anticipated that they would more likely perish in a Soviet attack than die from natural causes.” The Space Race was an instance in Cold War history when the U.S. suffered from the Soviet propagandistic attack, though soon the U.S. retaliated by sending a man to the moon.
In addition to demonstrating superiority, propaganda from both the U.S. and the Soviet Union often characterized and or dehumanized each other. The animated film Make Mine Freedom is an example of how communism was characterized in the U.S. The film presents a stark contrast between communism and capitalism, boasting the economic success of the U.S. and condemning communism for its lack of liberties. Being one of the early, overt propaganda, the film begins with a message to the audience: “This is one of a series of films produced by the Extension Department of Harding College to create a deeper understanding of what has made America the finest place in the world to live.” The message informs the audience that this video is propaganda and outlines its intentions. The film continues by describing the Bill of Rights, depicting the different freedoms that the Americans had. It also illustrates the importance of capitalism in developing the U.S.’s thriving economy. Then, the film introduces four characters that each represent farmers, politicians, factory owners, and laborers. They are soon approached by Dr. Utopia who offers bottles of “ISM” and tells them that all their troubles will be resolved if they buy the ISM and deceive them into almost signing their freedom away on a contract. Before the signing, they first try samples of ISM and witness their freedoms being stripped from them by giant hands in a vision. The farmer and factory owner lose their property, the laborer becomes constricted at their workplace, and the politician — with a record player on their head — repeats “everything is fine.” These scenes work to portray communism in a negative light. ISM sold by Dr. Utopia represents communism and how it’s often claimed that communism is the key to utopia. Dr. Utopia’s deceiving and evil characteristics represent communists as such. In the vision, the four characters are chained down, trapped, or kicked out by giant hands; this visually expresses the constriction of communism. Towards the end, Dr. Utopia is driven out by the characters, educating the people of how communists should be treated. The film concludes with a warning to the audience: “When anybody preaches disunity tries to put one of us against the other … you know that person seeks to rob us of our freedom and destroy our very lives.” These negative characterizations instilled anti-communism and effectively stigmatized communism in American society.
Similarly, the Soviet Union also presented unfavorable characterizations of capitalism in its propaganda. An animated Soviet Propaganda video made in the 1950s or 1960s, The Millionaire is a propaganda film about capitalism. The plot describes a bulldog who inherited all the fortunes of his owner living an extravagant life and eventually becoming a congressman. The film reinforces the stereotypes of capitalists — greedy, extravagant, and hedonistic — and ridicules them. At the beginning of the film, the owner’s relatives gather to hear her will. Instead of showing remorse or grief, the relatives are shown smiling while listening to the amount of money being assorted in the will. When it is announced that the bulldog is inheriting the entirety of her money, some of them faint and some argue loudly. This scene effectively portrays the greedy capitalists in a somewhat unsettling but humorous way. The bulldog indulges in a lavish lifestyle with grand chefs making his meals, servants tending him constantly, his Cadillac, and frequent visits to the spa. He is also shown attending A-list parties and bars, getting drunk, and dancing his “doggy waltz and twist.” These exaggerated scenes emphasize the extravagance of capitalism and capitalists’ hedonistic inclinations. Other capitalists in the film are dehumanized and mocked. In the bar scene, they follow the bulldog’s doggy waltz, dancing on four limbs ridiculously. They blindly listen to the bulldog barking at the press. It is interesting to compare how capitalists are portrayed in Make Mine Freedom and The Millionaire, the former claims it is nothing to be ashamed of while the latter ridicules it constantly.
The Soviet Union also often utilized posters for their propaganda, evoking patriotism for the Soviet Union and distaste for the U.S. The poster below depicts the freedoms Americans possess: the freedom of the press, opinion, individual, and associations and meetings.
The caption reads, “Freedom American Version.” However, the depictions show ironic scenes of those freedoms being exploited. The symbol of liberty, the Statue of Liberty, is drawn with a thick lock with a dollar sign locking its mouth shut. A police officer stands on top of the statue as well. The use of these symbols criticizes the U.S.’s obsession with wealth and its militarism or brutality. The image implies that despite what the U.S. claims, the U.S. is under a dictatorship of the elites and the liberties that they advocate are only superficial. Often, Soviet propaganda sought to expose the U.S.’s true colors— this poster is an unmistakable example of that attempt. Another poster below depicts an American soldier with a dollar sign engraved on his helmet, holding a bloody gun, and angrily staring toward the viewer.
The caption reads “The U.S. Army is an instrument of aggression and robbery.” Again, the Soviet Union characterizes the U.S. as money-driven, violent, and the aggressor. The harsh black and red colors convey the brutality of the U.S. military and villainize it further. Like these examples, the Soviet Union emphasized how the U.S. was engaging in violent wars and was not a peacemaker.
