Because they're in power. I recommend Jacques Ellul's Propaganda. The fact that the tactics are totally obvious is, in fact, exactly the point. They serve not to convince, but remind who has the power.
Ellul has a passage in which ancient Chinese poetry is "analyzed" by communist party members. This was served in classrooms of course. And the analysis was manifestly ridiculous. Anyone who reads it can't help but chuckle at the ham-fisted attempt to suggest that a poem about the sky, actually was referring to the glorious peoples revolution.
But: read that every day, hear in class every year, hear 1000 messages that confirm and reinforce this crazy, idiotic, message, and you can't help but be affected by it.
That is the nature of propaganda. In it's essence, it is a demonstration, an exercise of power. There is nothing subtle about it, and only part of it is covert.
```In on article in Pruula in May 1957. the Chinese writer Mao
Dun wrote that the ancient poets of Chma used the following
words to express the striving of the people toward a better life:
The Bowers perfume the air. the moon shines, man has a long
life " And he added: “Allow me to give a new explanation of these
poetic terms The flowers perfume the air — this means that the
flowers of the art of socialist realism are incomparably beautiful
The moon shines — this means that the sputnik has opened a new
era In the conquest of space Man has a long life — this means
that the grout Soviet Union will live tens and tens of thousands
of years “
When one reads this ouce, one smiles If one reads i* a thousand
times, and no longer reads anything else, one must undergo a
change. And we must reflect on the transformation of perspective
already suffered by a whole society in which texts like this I pub-
lished by the thousands) can be distributed and taken seriously not
only by the authorities but by the intellectuals This complete
change of perspective of the Weltanschauung is the primary totali-
tarian element of propaganda.
