but when you look back how many good memories will you actually have when you've been oppressed and brainwashed since birth?

You'd be surprised. Being oppressed by your government typically causes an increase in communal mindsets. Family & friends become closer and more valuable. We've seen this in East Germany or under the Soviet regime in eastern Europe for example as well. People lived poorer and with less rights, but this necessitated them to work more closely with the people around them and consequently became more tight knitted. You can go watch some documentaries of NK on the inside. They aren't getting whipped the whole day long to work.