Are your leaders lying to you?

If a country is subjected to the mass media geared only towards protecting the interests of the ruling party, with the citizens screened from all outside influences, how can any one stand up to the regime? Would anybody know? The citizens could be deceived to a point that they accept what they are told. Moreover, if impoverished, they could well be so preoccupied with their day-to-day living that they have neither the time nor inclination to question the words of their leaders. This could also happen in a fairly developed country, when lies are fed to the people on a daily basis. How, then, could they know when their ears are filled with false promises and misinformation? Worst of all, would they say, "Would it matter?"
Freedom and stability are often viewed as mutually exclusive: The more freedom, the less stability. If this argument holds water, it stands to reason that all freedom should be sacrificed in return for stability.