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SUBJECT:
Coomunist Use of Youth Unemploymentropaganda Weapcn
propaganda, whetherhe Soviet Union or In the principal countries of Western Europe where the party is strong--Italy, France, Finland-makes extensive use of the issue of youth unemployment. Bu'. there is no overall campaign controlling this propaganda. More: ver it is inhibited tn several Western European countries, paradosicaily, by the political ambitions of theparties and tneir close relation to the labor unions.
The overall theme struck by Soviet propaganda is thatsociety is incaoabte of assuring fail and secureunemployment obviously relateso thisa strlk 3ut the first target of Soviet propaganda tndomestic audience, which must be saturated andrsirper^the assertion that only Soviet-style socla ism assures the While the Soviets were able in the late*
to orchestrate international propaganda campaign: on themes of their choosing, their capability has narrowed over theof foreign policy themes. Well estab 1shednationa1 Joarajjl" partiesroad trade union base formulate their ^stlc propaganda themes, which do not automatically coincide with those of the Soviets.
The West European Communist parties appiwch the problea of >outh unemployment -ith some trepidat on It is far too Wut to be negieeted. but It presents complications. Finlandlear example: the Minister of labor in the present government,Aalto. is also the Secretary General of the Finnish Communist Party.
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Th* Italian Ccerainistooncreasingly Involved inresponsibility, takes partial responsibility and expects credit for governmental programs designed to cut down on youth unemployment. It is inhibited by its general gradualist tactics froaemc-gogic propaganda campaign striving to make maximum political use of the bleak unemployment prospects for Italian youth. The Italian party's first concern is job security for those who already havepreoccupation of the Comnunist-dooinatcd General Confederation of Italian Labor (CGEL). Recognizingrightening number ofyouth want white collar jobs in an already swollen bureaucratic system, the Italian party must try to appeal to them but cannot afford to be their champion, because it understands the necessity ofthe bureaucracy of the1 state and the nationalized Industries. Though worried by the danger that unemployed and unemployable students will swell the ranks of -Ktremists and terrorists, the Italian party has chosen, like the Finnish party, to cope with youth unemployment
Original document.
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