One interesting outcome of the Korean War was the discovery of brainwashing as a means of psychological warfare and coercive propaganda. Many American prisoners of war were treated as objects for potential propaganda purposes. When prisoners were exchanged, it was discovered that the Communists' mental and physical torture was successful enough that only 5% of American prisoners had been able to resist all methods of indoctrination or use for propaganda. Cases such as Colonel Frank H. Schwable, who had "confessed" to germ warfare, prompted investigations by the court of inquiry and psychiatrists.46 This new propaganda technique disturbed the West, and such a legacy of the War only furthered to question the strength of the United States. From this apparent weakness, anti-Communist hysteria such as that of Joseph McCarthy found its roots and raised the issue of Communist infiltration in the country.47
All the false black and grey propaganda did not necessarily help the war effort, however, especially during the Vietnam War. Even though the anti-war movement was disorganized, it was undeniable and anti-war sentiment even began to appear in the administration.48 Propaganda which promised success, such as that pre-Tet offensive which failed to deliver, only weakened faith in the American government. Combined with a lack of any actionable plan during the Nixon administration and support for the South Vietnamese government against growing anti-war reaction and civil unrest at home, the United States was forced to withdraw from Vietnam, sealing the Communist North's victory.49 What was successful was the overall anti-Communist message used to bombard the public throughout the Cold War. Even today for instance, the idea that a prosperous American society comprises of straight, white, Christian (non-Communist) nuclear families still persists.
By the end of the Cold War, another outcome of the technological competition with the Soviet Union was the Internet, the World Wide Web, and, eventually, the wide use of social media that soon followed in the new century.50 With the emergence of such an uncontrollable medium in modern times, many governments were caught unprepared and unsure how to regulate it in the face of legal and public resistance.51 Given the significance of the Internet as a source of information today, it has tremendous potential to be a powerful propaganda tool. Already, it has been utilized for such purposes, as demonstrated during the conflict in the Middle East when terrorist groups in the 21st century used social media platforms to spread propaganda.52 With this sort of rapid technological development and social connection, we have yet to see how both warfare and information battles will play out in the near future.