Authoritarianism & Propaganda: The Puppet Master Tools

When I wrote Authoritarians & Propaganda The Puppet Master Tools, I wanted to create a different type of book. In other words, have the freedom to write something in my own unique style. That is why in the end I decided to self-publish. The more I researched about the publishing process the more I realized that for this project in particular there was a potential (likely unintentional) that my words could be taken out of context or editorialized under somebody else's constraints, or their perception of what I am actually trying to convey. Afterall, my mind is a scary place, and it would take a lot longer to explain to somebody else what and how I am trying to express, and why it is written in the particular way I've chosen. Hence, I chose to self-publish.

The writing style for this book is meant to pull the reader in a bunch of directions. Yes, that is intended to be like that for a very valid reason (which is further explained in the book). Much like a bicycle wheel spoke point away from each other, they all come full circle. On purpose, some of my writing in this book is meant to be read a few times over. There are "easter eggs" and symbolism incorporated all over the place. The same is true on any artistic piece I create. There is always more than what meets the eye. The way I frame things will create a different response on each reader or witness to my art. It is meant to be that way.

And pertinent to my writing - especially for this book, English is my third language, therefore there is a non-zero chance I had made some idiomatic blunders. But hey, nobody is perfect, and neither am I. In fact, I don't think I will ever be able to speak proper English. I have made my peace with that fact. And to be honest, if I was to wait for perfection, then this manuscript would have been shelved for who knows how much longer. I'm sure future editions might fix some idiomatic shortcomings (if any), but at least the message of this book will be out and about.

I wrote most of this manuscript while underway serving onboard the world-famous USS COLE DDG 67 (yes, that is the same ship that was attacked by terrorists on October 12, 2000). We don't have much down time when we are floating away and around, but any bit of down time I could find I invested it in working on my writing, which includes this book.

This is the third manuscript I finished during our nine-plus months operational deployment. I finished the manuscript for this book after the ship returned to home port, even though we were still out to sea or were otherwise incredibly busy even back in port. A U.S. Navy Destroyer being the workhorse of the Navy is most definitely a huge understatement.

Writing a manuscript is quite an endeavor, but making it available to the world has been perhaps the most challenging part. And quite frankly, the ship's mission schedule have been very busy and any side project, such as this book had to take the back seat while we completed our operational commitments. That is why is called a "military service" and not a "military job." There are all kinds of sacrifices associated with the service. And I am sure any military person you've met can cite countless examples about that.

But at the end of the day, this book or any other endeavor takes a team effort. In my case I want to give a special acknowledgment to my wife Alicia. Not only did she created the background for this book cover based on the context about the book. But she was also my primary "beta-reader." When I wrote my first manuscript Alcia offered to be my "editor" - I had a feeling she would change her mind. She did. And I don't blame her, it was a tall order for any person. But in the end, she did agree to be my proof-reader after I did my best to edit the book.

Yes, I actually edited the book myself. Yes, I know, I know, [*gasp*] that sounds like a cardinal writer's sin... but hey... it is what it is. Thank you for reading my book!