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The Dictators Handbook
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A Practical Manual
for the Aspiring Tyrant
by Randall Wood and Carmine DeLuca
First edition: June 2012
The Dictators Handbook: A Practical Manual for the Aspiring Tyrant
by Randall Wood and Carmine DeLuca 2012
ISBN 978-0615652429 (Gull Pond Books)
All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner and publisher. If and where trademarked names appear in this book, we use them only in an editorial fashion and to the benefit of the trademark owner, with no intention of infringement of the trademark.
The information in this book is distributed on an as is basis, without warranty. Although every precaution has been taken in the publication of this work, neither the authors nor the publisher shall have any liability to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused indirectly or directly by the information contained in this work.
Printing History: First edition, June 2012, in hard cover and digital formats.
The cover image and images within the chapters of Richard M. (Dick) Tater and other characters are a registered trademark of Randall Wood. Dick is based on no specific individual living or dead, and is the creation of the authors and artist. Any perceived resemblance to any person, whether living or dead, is accidental and unintended. So back off, pal.
Forward
Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want and deserve to get it good and hard.
H.L. Mencken
Y OU would like to be a dictator. And why shouldnt you? Play your cards right and its the best job on earth. Think about it: is anything lovelier than unbridled power, limitless economic opportunity, and the pleasure of crushing those who oppose you? Does the morning air not smell sweeter knowing your enemies are humbled, crippled, or dead, and the wealth of your nation lies at your personal disposal? And is there any goal more satisfying than being indispensably at the nexus of your countrys government, economy, and society, controlling, choosing, and taking your cut? And are you a family-minded sort? Then youll want to ensure your son or daughter steps in to follow in your footsteps as you age, to protect the family fortune and continue your legacy. And finally, lets be honest: doesnt it feel good to be revered as a demi-god? Of course it does!
Dont be foolish: its not going to be easy. You will have enemies on all sides, difficult choices to make, and the whole world watching your every move. But youve also got lots of impressive examples to follow. Youve been watching those who preceded you, and thought to yourself: surely, theyre using a practical manual, a playbook, a map to the top! A manual indeed exists, and youre holding it in your hands. Read on, young dictator, and if you learn well you too will taste ultimate power.
Dedication and Thanks
This book is dedicated to our own little dictators: Valentina, Diego, Giovanni, and Alessio. May you live in a better world. It is also dedicated to everyone who has suffered or perished due to practices like these. May these tactics someday become so obvious that they no longer work.
Thanks go to all the leaders who provided us with such rich material to draw from. And thank you as well to everyone who contributed by pointing out techniques and tactics worth investigating or case studies that provided valuable insight into the current practice. Obviously we cant thank you by name, or youd find yourselves cast into prison for further questioning. Suffice it to say were grateful, and will think kindly on your contributions from our own verminous prison cells.
Our grumpy little dictator dude character, Richard M. (Dick) Tater, was drawn by HappyToast.
Disclaimer
In an era where nothing goes without saying, we must say it expressly: The views expressed here are solely those of the authors in their private capacity and do not in any way represent the views of the authors employers, colleagues, family, or friends. The opinions expressed in this book were compiled on the basis of publicly documented information and the personal experience and creative talent of the authors. The contents of this book are not the official opinion of any government or any government agency, and do not represent the view of any government or government institution. This book is not an official publication of any government, has been endorsed by no government or institution thereof, and has been neither approved nor authorized by any government, our employers, or our lovely wives. Mention of a person in this book does not expressly mean that person is a dictator; omission does not mean that person is not. This book focuses on the methods of dictators and makes no express judgment as to who is and is not a dictator, tyrant, autocrat, and so on. If you are mentioned in this book as having employed some of the methods of dictators, please accept our heartfelt thanks for the material, rather than sending your thugs out to beat us mercilessly.
Visit Us Online
This book isnt and never will be complete. In fact, relevant anecdotes filled the daily news even as this went to press. The book chooses representative examples, leaves some people unmentioned, and makes no attempt to catalog every example of the practices mentioned within. This book is just the beginning. Once youve read the Handbook, join us at http://www.dictatorshandbook.net to join the conversation. Here were watching the worlds leaders put these tips in practice, spotting new techniques in action, and generally making a nuisance of ourselves to our fearless leaders. Is that guy employing a move straight out of the Dictators Handbook? He probably is!
About the Authors
Randall Wood , author, engineer, and teacher, has lived in Asia, Africa, and Latin America for most of his adult life, working in engineering, construction, agronomy, diplomacy, and teaching. Much of the inspiration for this book came from personal experience and observation. He writes, Time and time again, when the media would report some new political atrocity, I would mutter, Well, thats a move straight out of the Dictators Handbook. If I said to myself, Next, the president will insist on constitutional reform, I was too frequently right. Finally, I began to wonder if there truly was some sort of Handbook these political clowns were using to organize their governments and plot their next moves. And now, finally, there is. Writing this book has been a sort of personal catharsis. He is the author of two other books and several technical manuals. His website is www.therandymon.com .
Carmine DeLuca , writer and history enthusiast, has long cultivated an interest in the authoritarians of every stripe. In part this fascination stems from his personal life a Bonapartist father, an aunt named after the Battle of Adowa, and a grandfather and great uncle in Mussolinis army. Two decades of reading and thinking on the historical significance of great men plus a fantastic library of books on the Romans, Facists, Napoleon, Greeks, and beyond have prepared him for the writing of this book.
