They also had Novosti = the news. It led to a fun joke: "Why do we have two newspapers, Truth and News? Well that's because there's no truth in News, and no news in Truth."

Alot of these old Soviet jokes are becoming quite appropriate again. What times we live in.

Independent courts, not the government, need to determine truth, along with penalties for lying or abusing the system. Any government, not just totalitarian ones, will abuse it if they have opportunity. Just have to hope the courts remain independent or that people notice if the government attempts to nobble the system. There are a number of regions with laws like this that haven't descended into totalitarian states.

We had this for a long time in Europe. It forced everyone to recognize that God did exist and that the sun revolved around the earth. Worked really great!

Hence independent courts, independent from church and state. It also helps to have embraced rationalism and the scientific method.

This is true. But nonetheless, it is double edged. Not a fan of closing down sources, more a fan of education and inoculation of the population against misinformation. But that takes decades. And this is now. Not sure what is the best course of action.

People are the sole judge. If you have to nudge them to vote the right way it's not democracy.