The inherent contradiction between repression and persuasion ultimately proves fatal to the narrative. While the dictator desires the sincere loyalty that propaganda aims to cultivate, he is never willing to relinquish the coercive power of the secret police and the military. The simultaneous presence of smiling propaganda posters and political prisons sends a clear, overriding message to the populace: the regime operates on fear, not love. The repression, meant to complement the narrative, instead acts as a constant, brutal reminder that the official story is a lie enforced by violence.
