No, one of the reasons was not that they had guns.
It was that reception of western radio and television broadcasts provided alternative news sources to the limited official news sources that were provided the Communist regimes. Strict censorship could not prevent the flow of free information around official channels.
Of course, one needed to be aware of the fact that official propaganda was usually untrue. But according to those who lived through this era, the propanganda was fairly obvious.
While the US does not engage in State Censorship of the press, the corporatocratic authorities have consolidated the media in such a way that it is easily controlled to present a very passive picture of life in the US. This is useful for the rise of the right wing that works against the interest of the majority of US citizens.
Arise, US citizens, the internet is your key to free information if you know how to use it.
