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Don't Be a Sucker

US National Archives · documentary · Watch on YouTube

Media, journalism & propagandaWorld historySocial issues & culture

What it is

A 1945 US Army educational film that dramatizes how demagogues use prejudice and scapegoating to divide people. It opens with fake wrestling matches and crooked gambling games to show how con artists work, then applies the lesson to racial and religious bigotry.

Why Hacker News recommends it

HN commenters bring it up in political threads as a classic warning about divisive agitators and fascism, and suggest it be remade for each generation.

  • 4 people recommended it
  • 4 different months
  • 0 strong recommendations
  • first 2020, last 2026

What HN commenters said

  1. “We must guard everyone's liberty or we can lose our own.”

    1943-45 US war film on prejudice and liberty

    sergeykish, 2020-06 · Recommendation · in “Zero-sum thinking on immigration will make America poorer”

  2. “A classic.”

    1945 film showing how demagogues divide people

    jenkinsj, 2020-08 · Recommendation · in “Don't Be a Sucker”

  3. “Perhaps we need to continuously keep making versions of this?”

    1945 anti-bigotry film worth remaking for each generation

    Kim_Bruning, 2021-09 · Recommendation · in “Private censorship is not the best way to fight hate or defend democracy (2018)”

  4. “long, but worth a watch sometime for anyone who hasn't seen it”

    1945 film warning against fascism and divisive demagogues

    neilv, 2026-01 · Recommendation · in “East Germany balloon escape”

Excerpts from Hacker News comments, linked to the originals. Summaries and labels were written by a language model from those comments.

Topics: propaganda, 1945 film, demagoguery, scapegoating, civil liberties

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