Posted on 04/24/2015 7:55:07 AM PDT by Sean_Anthony
Adversaries welcome Obama’s conciliatory actions that turn Machiavelli on his head, and they are likely to be joined by others, emboldened by a perceived window of opportunity remaining open through the end of the Obama administration
The most quoted political wisdom from Machiavelli is that “it is better to feared than it is to be loved.” President Obama’s Middle East policy may well go down as the turning point in U.S. policy in which Machiavelli was turned on his head, setting the stage for the whirlwind of chaos and war.
What is one to think about the Obama administration’s extended talks and unilateral concessions on forging a nuclear agreement with Iran that undermines long-standing U.S. allies in the Middle East and invites greater tumult in an already unstable region?
It is not just the alliance with Israel that is being frayed, it is also the alliances with Sunni Arab states, such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates who find their security interests critically jeopardized by a deal that virtually guarantees a future nuclear Iran. Prospects of hegemonic nuclear power by the Shia Republic of Iran will compel other states, notably Saudi Arabia—the home of the Sunni’s Mecca and Medina holy sites—to go nuclear.
(Excerpt) Read more at canadafreepress.com ...
Machiavelli gets a particularly bad rap for that sound-bite of advice. The entire passage, which is advice to a young ruler in the cutthroat (literally) world of Italian politics in the 16th Century is this:
Upon this a question arises: whether it be better to be loved than feared or feared than loved? It may be answered that one should wish to be both, but, because it is difficult to unite them in one person, is much safer to be feared than loved, when, of the two, either must be dispensed with.
...
Nevertheless a prince ought to inspire fear in such a way that, if he does not win love, he avoids hatred; because he can endure very well being feared whilst he is not hated, which will always be as long as he abstains from the property of his citizens and subjects and from their women. But when it is necessary for him to proceed against the life of someone, he must do it on proper justification and for manifest cause, but above all things he must keep his hands off the property of others, because men more quickly forget the death of their father than the loss of their patrimony. Besides, pretexts for taking away the property are never wanting; for he who has once begun to live by robbery will always find pretexts for seizing what belongs to others; but reasons for taking life, on the contrary, are more difficult to find and sooner lapse.
...
Returning to the question of being feared or loved, I come to the conclusion that, men loving according to their own will and fearing according to that of the prince, a wise prince should establish himself on that which is in his own control and not in that of others; he must endeavour only to avoid hatred, as is noted.
Machiavelli’s “The Prince” should be required reading. But reading is hard. Better to sing worship songs to Obama and put condoms on cucumbers.
5.56mm
Seems to me the scenario I saw on one of those prognosticating cable shows,told of how the US gets destroyed.
A massive nuclear attack from the direction of the middle east,from not just one country,but from all of them simultaneously.
Things shaping up for that to take place
Obama is unlike those who actually have a brain and can lead their country. Obama is anti USA and he has ruined our military with gays, lesbians, etc. Hell, ROTC cadets who will one day soon be army officers were seen wearing red pumps. These were men wearing women’s “red” high heels with fatigues. At Arizona State the ROTC OIC a female Maj. Bravo seems to beat around the bush whether she made the red pumps mandatory. The military is trying more sensitivity training for males to understand female rape in uniform. One would hope these males would have refused to wear the damn heels. Obama is not a leader. He is a screw up.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.