I mean isn't this more "circle jerking " about dismantling state propaganda? Interacting with those you were told are your enemy?

Besides, people should always celebrate the positives, and look towards them as something that is possible in their country too.

And as an fyi: when we were here before, the workers revolution in Russia was new. The achievements were so profound that workers in North America began demanding similar concessions from our governments. There was a real threat of overthrowing the existing power structures. And what happened? Weekends, literacy, healthcare, just generally improved living conditions. To dismiss cultural exchange as circle jerking is to ignore history and the power that comes with knowing things are better elsewhere, and that you can have that too.