You learn that truth is a dangerous luxery you can do without, as power dictates, and can do so for generations.

Teach your children to be skeptical of the authorities, and be vigilent of propaganda.

I grew up in DDR. That act in itself is punishable. In mandatory state school, there was a lot “you live thanks to, and for others” propaganda. Teachers would get benefits if they succesfully got children to tell on their family, or their friends. The children who did so were lauded.

Would you trust your 8 year old kid to not tell his best friend what you talked about at home?

I think your imagination fails to understand the magnitute of surpressing a state can and will do. It’s not just the state, and bad guys in it. It’s everywhere. 1-in-3 people were informants to the stasi. Je stärker der Sozialismus, desto sicherer der Frieden.

OP never said it wouldn’t be a bullet proof space gorilla

I’d be very skepical and deduce that there is censorshop going on and the offical news could be exaggerated or entirely falsified

After you realise you are a hostage, what’s the “good” response, in your opinion? Protest and get surpressed? Start a partisan group, and be afraid for your life 24/7? Join the surpressors for small benefits for your and yours, at the peril of others? Play along with the idea to “change it from the inside”?

Now that’s confidence