There is more brainwashing in an open society 

It is often said there’s less brain washing in an open society. Let’s look at how wording changes over time.

The department that is responsible for military actions used to be called war department. That was an accurate description. Today the same department is called defense department. It seems no one is engaged in offense.

In the old time, there are propaganda committees to promote war efforts. Today, at least in “good” countries, there is no more propaganda. There is only “news”. Anything that is “laudable” becomes news. Anything that is “obnoxious” is propaganda and hence should be banned. By eliminating the word propaganda, one doesn’t eliminate propaganda itself, one simply eliminates the difference between propaganda and news. 

In a closed society, one writes for his peers. A major purpose is to transmit information. So there is abundant truth in their writings. That is why people still read and benefit from Bible, which is a document for a small tribe. In an open society, foes and friends alike read the same thing. It is difficult to determine the main goal of a writing is to confuse or to enlighten, to camouflage or to reveal.