Machiavelli once held office but was driven from his active political career and that forced him to write about politics. Machiavelli was a man from Italy who lived his life for politics and patriotism. Once pushed out of his political office he wrote a small pamphlet in 1513 called "The Prince" in hopes to gain favor from the ruling family there.
"The wise man should always follow the roads that have been trodden by the great, and imitate those who have most excelled, so that if he cannot reach their perfection, he may at least acquire something of its savour." -Niccolo Machiavelli
The Prince did not gain esteem with many there in his time, as it does not go over well with many people in our own time now.
It is filled with advice on how to take control of a state and how to keep it. This book would become Karl Roves political bible. The Prince is considered favorable advice in the minds of the resolute neo-conservatives. Opposition however view The Prince as advice given from a cruel and corrupt man to cruel and corrupt men.
"Now, by exciting their fears of the enemy's cruelty; and, again by dexterously silencing those who seems to him too forward in their complaints." Chapter X- The Prince
That is perfect advice for a tyrant to use. George W. Bush and his cabal over the past six years have worked very hard to follow that advice haven't they? Maybe that is what the dictator meant when he said, "It's hard work."
"A Prince, therefore, should have no care or thought but for war." Chapter XIV- The Prince
"I'm a war president." The dictator George W. Bush informed us with that quote. Of course we can't forget this comment made by him, "I make decisions here in the Oval Office in foreign-policy matters with war on my mind."
"Be it known, then, that there are two ways of contending, one in accordance with the laws, the other by force; the first of which is proper to men, the second to beasts. But since the first method is often ineffectual, it becomes necessary to resort to the second." Chapter XVIII- The Prince
"Now, by the way, any time you hear the United States government talking about wiretap, it requires -- a wiretap requires a court order. Nothing has changed, by the way. When we're talking about chasing down terrorists, we're talking about getting a court order before we do so." George W. Bush in 2004.
We remember this bold face lie and we remember that the law was in fact broken, because he ordered an illegal wiretapping program in 2001 that circumvented the FISA court. Onward to the beasts Machiavelli would be so proud. The illegal spy program is just ONE example where George W. Bush has broken the laws of men!
We can also point to the fact that he has ordered that torture is perfectly fine to do when CIA is interrogating human beings. He didn't care what the Geneva Convention said, oh but he does now, he is worried about being charged with war crimes so he has to change it to save his ass and save other people's asses. The deaths in Afghanistan that were reported in the hands of CIA interrogators. The secret prisons that were reported across the world and the rendition flights that have taken place in order to be outside reach of law. George W. Bush and his cabal certainly took the piece of advice regarding laws and force to an extreme that I imagine has Machiavelli smiling in the grave. I mean the first being laws always seem to be ineffectual...
"But men are so simple, and governed so absolutely by their present needs, that he who wishes to deceive will never fail in finding dupes." Chapter XVIII- The Prince
Brilliant advice for a liar, thief, murderer, and tyrant. We all know many people were duped over WMD. I was one of them sadly. Do you know there are still people who believe that WMD were either found, or they are still looking for them? Yeah I know, AMAZING! Knowing that people should understand why I said turn FNC (Fox News Channel) off and urge everyone you know that watches it to turn it off.
"Thus, it is well to seem merciful, faithful, humane, religious, and upright and also to be so; but the mind should remain so balanced that were it needful not to be so, you should be able and know how to change to the contrary." Chapter XVIII- The Prince
Well George to the fools you seem to be merciful, faithful, humane, religious, and upright. To the intelligent people who have not been fooled by your Machiavellian tactics know you are not those things!
"because men in general judge rather by the eye than by the hand, for every one can see but few can touch. Every one sees what you seem, but few know what you are, and these few dare not oppose themselves to the opinion of the many who have the majesty of the state to back them up." Chapter XVIII- The Prince
More than a few know what you are George. You feel the pressure don't you? Terrified that those many who know what you are will soon come for justice aren't you? Yeah I can see it when you attempt to maximize the amount of rhetoric coming out from your administration. We know you are the beast and not the man of law!
"A certain Prince of our own days, whose name it is as well not to mention, is always preaching peace and good faith, although the mortal enemy of both; and both, had he practised them as he preaches them, would, oftener than once, have lost him his kingdom and authority." The ending of Chapter XVIII- The Prince
We know how you love to preach George. War is peace now thanks to you and your cabal. You preach that you are a born again Christian, what a joke that is! You are the furthest thing from Christian this country has seen ever. We know you are a crook for the oil corporations. People know about your Taliban visits in Texas while you were governor. People know about your business connection to the Bin Laden family. Hell people even know that it was the Bin Laden family that bailed you out time and time again as your companies failed. People also know you are more faithful to the Saudi Royal family than your own fellow Americans.
We know you are a liar! We know you are a murderer who enjoys calling what we do in Iraq the act of war. It isn't an act of war George, it is an occupation by an imperialistic Army. The guy who led that Army into the action of occupation is nothing more than a dictator who doesn't think he has to follow any laws. 750 signing statements have proven that.
"It has never chanced that any new Prince has disarmed his subjects. On the contrary, when he has found them unarmed he has armed them. For the arms thus provided become yours, those whom you suspected grow faithful, while those who were faithful at first, continue so, and from your subjects become your partisans. But by disarming, you at once give offence, since you show your subjects that you distrust them, either as doubting their courage, or as doubting their fidelity, each of which imputations begets hatred against you. Moreover, as you cannot maintain yourself without arms, you must have recourse to mercenary troops." Chapter XX- The Prince
We know much about partisans George. Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, who I prefer to call Lush Limpballs, Ann Coulter or Ann Cuntler, William Kristol, Paul Wolfowitz, the list goes on and on. None of those mentioned speak about what is best for our country. They only repeat the rhetoric that you order them to repeat. It isn't staying the course, now is it? No, it is now adapting to the enemy. You are a great piece of shit George and the comedians get pleasure out of all you do and say! As some laugh at your character others are angered and unable to laugh at the destruction you have brought to this country and the world!
"Hence we may learn the lesson that on siezing a state, the usurper should make haste to inflict what injuries he must, at a stroke, that he may not have to renew them daily, but be enabled by their discontinuance to reassure mens' minds, and afterwards win them over by benefits. Whosoever, either through timidity or from following bad counsels, adopts a contrary course, must keep the sword always drawn, and can put no trust in his subjects, who suffering from continued and constantly renewed severities, will never yield him their confidence. Injuries, therefore, should be inflicted all at once, that their ill savour being less lasting may the less offend; whereas, benefits should be conferred little by little, that so they may more fully relished. Chapter VIII- The Prince
Remember, remember the 11th of September.