In effect, the Soviet regime controlled the creative work of its scientists and was able to channel their creativity toward accomplishment of the state’s objectives. In the process, it forced the creative individuals to overcome the problem of cognitive dissonance by eliminating opportunities for criticism, freedom of scientific exchange, and availability of alternative attractive employment opportunities. A totalitarian system such as the Soviet one might have had an easier time achieving this goal than its democratic counterparts because it was based on the principles of terror, fear, and subjugation rather than independent thought and freedom of expression. Even though many of the known offensive BW programs prior to signing of the BTWC existed in democracies (the United States, Canada, France, and the United Kingdom), since the signing of the convention in the early 1970s, most of the clandestine BW programs were carried out in authoritarian states (Way and Zaitseva, 2008)