” The whole thing was used to sell Socialism/Communism.”
May not have worked so well at that. 40 years ago, a Polish scientist was visiting us. He related a lot of stories about the skepticism of Poles towards Marxism. One was about how the Soviets showed “TGOW” in high schools, as propaganda on how bad life was in the US. What impressed the Polish students was how the downtrodden Americans, when they lost their farm, loaded their belongings into THEIR OWN AUTOMOBILES and set out for California, WITHOUT HAVING TO ASK ANYONE’s PERMISSION.
Bravo!!!
Your Polish friend captured well the human essence contained in John Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath