Dictator's Handbook by DeLuca Carmine & Wood Randall

Author:DeLuca, Carmine & Wood, Randall [DeLuca, Carmine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Gull Pond Books
Published: 2012-06-08T00:00:00+00:00

All Talk: Using Negotiation to De-legitimize Protesters Keep the street protests from expanding by offering to open talks with your political opposition. Let them think it’s an overture toward a power sharing agreement; in reality it’s just hotel conference rooms, free wi-fi, and coffee and cookies, and you can make “talks” last forever, if necessary (as in Yemen).[386 ] To encourage them to accept the invitation, extend the offer while pummeling the rebels in a particularly grueling way elsewhere.[77 ]

If you do consider this tactic, be sure to insist that, although you are willing to begin talks (whatever that means), you will not do so while people are in the streets. Be firm on this point: all protests, demonstrations, sit-ins, and equivalent stop immediately before the negotiations begin. This is a sound negotiating principle that recently has been on display during the unrest in the Middle East (Yemen).[386 ]

Cosmetic Changes: Staff Shuffling It’s not unreasonable to sacrifice a few lambs to the slaughter, particularly if cutting your losses in this manner can remove some un-trustworthy subordinates. Convince the protesters you are reacting to their demands by firing a few cabinet members and ministers, or shuffling them between posts. King Abdullah II of Jordan chose this route in 2011 as protests increased in force. Abdullah appointed a new Prime Minister whose objective, he said, would be to “[take] practical, swift and tangible steps to launch a real political reform process, in line with the king’s version of comprehensive reform, modernization and development.” The move indeed seemed to satisfy many protesters, who will nevertheless have to wait to see if that’s the way it plays out.[269 ]

Appeasement through a Successor You can potentially quell riots by offering to step down and hand power over to a successor. Your successor should be picked by you, and should be a person who will satisfy the rioters, continue your rule for you, and find a way to hand power back to you in the best tradition of Continuismo (see section 12.1 ). In the case of Hosni Mubarak, as the 2011 riots gathered strength, he nominated Omar Suleiman as his vice president, ensuring the support of the military and preparing the ground for a potential future military government.[443 ]

8.8 The Nuances of Violence and Confrontation

When you have no choice but to unleash the dogs of war, do so with style. Act fast and decisively, ensuring your security forces immediately – and probably violently – put down early protests wherever they start.[386 ] Don’t delay, lest you be perceived as a weak prevaricator, but also take care not to proceed without thinking about how best you can apply physical pressure to break the protest and gain political advantage.

Fire on Protesters This should be self-explanatory, and there’s plenty of precedent for it. In some ways it’s the easy way out and is often employed by the most unimaginative autocrats, but sometimes you just have to take the direct approach. Out-source this particular tactic to your foreign mercenaries, who will also kill your unruly subjects with few qualms, as they have no cultural or ethnic binds.

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