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OPINION:
It was a combination of hard power (military buildup, the Strategic Defense Initiative, tough rhetoric) and soft power (radio broadcasts, circulating uncensored news and banned literature) that contributed to the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Of course, the Soviets’ humiliating defeat in the war with Afghanistan and the 15,000 of its soldiers killed in the nine-year war also contributed, bringing an end to the Cold War in 1991.
President Reagan used soft power to talk about freedom, dignity and human rights. He saw the Cold War as a moral and ideological contest, and he portrayed democracy and capitalism as desirable ways of life. This resonated strongly in Eastern Europe, especially in Poland, Czechoslovakia and East Germany.
Reagan gave his close friend Charles Wick, director of the U.S. Information Agency, the mandate to counter anti-American propaganda and promote U.S. policies, values and culture to an international audience.
USIA skillfully used Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty, Voice of America, Radio Free Asia and Radio/TV Marti to broadcast international news, cultural programs and commentary that, hopefully, would also be available to people living in countries where dictatorial governments bombarded citizens with propaganda and denied them access to the truth.
These USIA broadcasts, along with cultural (music, films, fashion, consumer goods) and educational exchanges, helped provide an image of U.S. optimism and prosperity. In many cases, it was an alternative narrative to state propaganda from hostile governments.
The Reagan administration was successful in using hard power to deter further Soviet aggression and in using soft power to ideologically, culturally and morally defeat the Soviet system. USIA was officially abolished in 1999, and its functions were merged with those of the State Department.
The broadcasting elements were transferred to a newly created Broadcasting Board of Governors, an independent federal agency to oversee all U.S. government-supported international broadcasting.
The Cold War may have ended in 1991, but our enemies and adversaries have grown in number. The axis of authoritarian states — Russia, China, Iran and North Korea — all have robust censorship programs that deny their citizens access to internal and international news and commentary.
During the recent protests in Iran and the regime’s brutal treatment of the protesters, with thousands reportedly killed, the foreign press was denied access to developments on the ground, and the internet was taken down for extended periods.
In Russia, reportedly 275,000 to 325,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in the war of aggression with Ukraine. After four years, the war continues, with casualties continuing on both sides. Compared with the 15,000 Russian soldiers who were killed in the nine-year war in Afghanistan, it’s surprising that the Russian people have tolerated this tragic loss of life.
In China, censorship is pervasive, with certain events, names and dates unavailable to the people. In North Korea, the people are denied access to international and domestic news and are harshly punished if caught listening to foreign broadcasts or viewing foreign videos.
The list of countries censoring the news and disseminating anti-American propaganda is growing. For some of these countries, such as Iran, the blatantly cruel treatment of their own people is incomprehensible.
Now is the time to enhance our soft power programs, especially the global broadcasting entities that have been so effective in the past. Let’s use Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty, Voice of America, Radio Free Asia, Radio/TV Marti, Alhurra and Radio Sawa more effectively by transmitting comprehensive news coverage and insightful commentary and focusing on reaching people in countries that censor the news and deny citizens access to the truth.
The proliferation of anti-American propaganda is spreading, and it is our responsibility to counter it and provide the global community with the American story: freedom, dignity and human rights for all people.
• The author is a former associate director of national intelligence. All statements of fact, opinion or analysis expressed are those of the author and do not reflect the official positions or views of the U.S. government. Nothing in the contents should be construed as asserting or implying U.S. government authentication of information or endorsement of the author’s views.
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