The Dictators Handbook by Bruce Bueno De Mesquita and Alastair Smith
The thesis is great: rulers hold on to power by following key rules, namely, benefiting their essential supports, those people in their society whose support is needed to gain and maintain power
The flaw to the book, however, is a general belief that democratic rulers are better than autocratic rulers because they must appeal to a larger essential supporter base.
While they point out how democratic governments can be corrupt and break rules, they try to make it seem like that’s atypical and those rulers are often thrown out easily by the electorate.
They also point out how autocratic rulers often have sham elections. As if to believe that democratic system’s elections aren’t rigged simply by providing false choices.
Without realizing where the true power lies in American society, they fail to properly identify the actual essential supporters.
Corporations like the MMIC (Medical and Military Industrial Complex) who control so much of the politics and the media, are no different than essential supporters in an autocracy who provide political support to rulers and propaganda.
Just because it’s a more advanced form of manipulation, they seem to be tricked into believing that it’s all about democracy and the people’s will.
I would only recommend this book for two reason:
1) I believe the thesis is accurate
2) I would like to see more people give their own analysis of this book
If you have to will read, please provide your feedback
