A textbook for an introductory course on dictatorship at Authoritarian University, by James R. Martin. A satirical crash course in becoming a dictator.
Written in the style of a mock textbook, Dictatorship 101 – Leadership Skills for Beginners combines humor, history, and fake leadership training to illustrate how authoritarians—past and present—seize and cling to power. From Mussolini’s balcony rants to modern memes, the book breaks down the dictator’s playbook while weaving in a serialized fictional story about three ambitious climbers: a lawyer, a coach, and a billionaire-turned-politician. “Authoritarianism is no laughing matter,” Martin says, “but perhaps the best way to recognize its tricks is with satire and irony.
Author James R. Martin, an Emmy Award–winning writer and longtime local university professor, has published a satirical ‘textbook’ on authoritarian rule. What does it take to silence critics, rewrite the rules, and declare yourself the Supreme Leader of the world? According to author James R. Martin, it all starts with a good playbook. Enter Dictatorship 101: Authoritarian Leadership Skills for Beginners, a darkly humorous parody “how-to” guide. “My tenth book since leaving university teaching is a candid look at who authoritarians are and how they get there.” – J Martin.
Dictatorship 101 Authoritarian Leadership Skills for Beginners
Author: James R. Martin
Paperback: 143 pages | 6 × 9 in. | ISBN 979-8-9855287-8-7 (Amazon)
“Who controls the past… controls the future – who controls the present controls the past.” — Orwell, 1984.
“Orwell Rolls in His Grave” is a social, historical, and advocacy nonfiction work about television and print media. It asks questions and explores issues using an objective reality format that presents facts, prompting you to think about the world you live in today.
Public’s Need to Know
Using quotes from George Orwell’s novel “1984,” the documentary film “Orwell Rolls In His Grave,” written, directed, and edited by Robert Kane Pappas, examines the role of media in today’s world. It is a prophetic documentary delivering a message that feels even more urgent now than when it was made in 2004. The film raises controversial questions about political and corporate control of the public’s right to know. Pappas, supported by knowledgeable individuals, analyzes recent events, revealing what they see as the Orwellian aspects of modern life.
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“Who controls the past… controls the future – who controls the present controls the past.” — Orwell, 1984.
Quotes From Orwell’s Novel “1984”
Using quotes from George Orwell’s novel “1984,” the documentary film “Orwell Rolls In His Grave,” written, directed, and edited by Robert Kane Pappas, explores the role of media in today’s world. It is a prophetic documentary conveying a message that seems even more urgent today than when the film was made in 2004. Orwell Rolls In His Grave asks controversial questions about issues related to political and corporate control of the public’s need to know. Pappas, aided by some knowledgeable people, deconstructs recent events, bringing to light what they believe is the Orwellian nature of modern life.
Does the Media Control Our Thinking?
The documentary raises several important questions. Are we living in a ‘mediaocracy”? Has the media become the authority on what news and information reaches the public? Is “news” about events or simply marketing for viewership? These and many other topics are examined beyond the Fox News fake “fair and balanced” format. The documentary features clips of Michael Moore speaking, interviews with Vermont Representative Bernie Sanders, Charles Lewis, director of the Center for Public Integrity, Greg Palast, author of The Best Democracy Money Can Buy, Vincent Bugliosi, a former L.A. prosecutor and legal scholar, and others.
The documentary’s format combines interviews, graphics, narration, news clips, statistics, quotes, and archival footage to create a narrative that feels relevant to today’s reality, both in the United States and possibly worldwide. While foreboding background music underscores quotes from Orwell and other scenes, the film does not try to manipulate viewers; it presents facts, asks questions, and clearly supports a viewpoint backed by evidence.
“If you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it.” — Joesph Goebbels Orwell Rolls In His Grave presents facts that every American should consider
One topic discussed in the film is how the media failed during the 2000 election, especially during the dispute over Florida’s vote count between Al Gore and G.W. Bush. The film also questions why the media has not investigated the sharp increase in wealth for a small elite, despite most citizens experiencing a decline in earnings.
Goebbels, Hitler’s propaganda minister, said:“…what you want in a media system [is] ostensible diversity – that conceals actual uniformity.”
The film explores modern media within this context and others. If all newspapers, television, radio, and cable systems are owned by a few corporations, how much diversity truly exists? The myth of the ‘Liberal Media” is examined against the reality that the media is owned by corporations with conservative interests. While individual reporters or writers may hold progressive views, do those ideas reach a broad audience?
“Orwell Rolls In His Grave” is a social, historical, and advocacy nonfiction story. It questions and explores issues using an objective reality approach, presenting facts to encourage reflection on today’s world. This documentary clears away the foggy lenses of indifference and spin to reveal a world that would make “Orwell Rolls In His Grave.”
