As all of you know, I am a big fan of Machiavelli. The Prince was the first book of political theory I ever read — I found it in a used bookstore on a vacation to Montana when I was 16.
Later I read a ton of Machiavelli in college, but in graduate school I found The Prince incredibly hard to teach. Undergraduates found it too obvious — to them, Machiavelli was just describing how politics works. I could never quite bring home for them what an astonishing book it was, and is.
(It didn't help that the professor in class actually compared Machiavelli to Lord Voldemort. Why he assigned The Prince only to dismiss it so stupidly, I have no idea.)
Anyway, in an attempt to escape the inescapable lure of reading the news, I reread The Prince last week. I found it more compelling than ever! I wonder if anyone surrounding our new Medici prince has ever read it? I sincerely think it could be of use to them. (Though since I would like Trump to crash and burn in a stupendous fashion, perhaps it's best if they don't read it.)
Lesson 1: If you are going to punish people, do it fast and all at once and then do nice stuff
"Someone could question how it happened that Agathocles and anyone like him, after infinite betrayals and cruelties, could live for a long time secure in his fatherland...I believe that this comes from cruelties badly used or well used.
"Those can be called well used (if it is permissible to speak well of evil) that are done at a stroke, out of the necessity to secure oneself, and then are not persisted in but are turned to as much utility for the subjects as one can.
"Those cruelties are badly used which, though few in the beginning, rather grow with time than are eliminated...For injuries must be done all together, so that, being tasted less, they offend less; and benefits should be done little by little so that they may be tasted better."
Lesson 2: Changing any kind of "system" is suuuuuper duper hard
"It should be considered that nothing is more difficult to handle, more doubtful or success, nor more dangerous to manage, than to put oneself at the head of introducing new orders. For the introducer has all those who benefit from the old orders as enemies, and he has lukewarm defenders in all those who might benefit from the new orders.
"This lukewarmness arises partly from fear of adversaries who have the laws on their side and partly from the incredulity of men, who do not truly believe in new things unless they have a firm experience of them. Consequently, whenever those who are enemies have the opportunity to attack, they do so with partisan zeal, and the others defend lukewarmly so that one is in peril along with them."
Lesson 3: It's way, way harder to take over a republic (aka, Putin has it easier than you do)
"And whoever becomes patron of a city accustomed to living free and does not destroy it, should expect to be destroyed by it; for it always has a refuge in rebellion the name of liberty and its own ancient orders which are never forgotten either through length of tie or because of benefits received.
"In republics there is greater life, greater hatred, more desire for revenge; the memory of their ancient liberty does not and cannot let them rest..."
Lesson 4: Do don't stuff that looks bad, even if you think it's good
"Men in general judge more by their eyes than by their hands, because seeing is given to everyone, touching to few. Everyone sees how you appear, few touch what you are; and these few dare not oppose the opinion of the many, who have the majesty of the state to defend them; and in the actions of all men, and especially of princes, where there is no court to appeal to, one looks to the end.
"So let a prince win and maintain his state: the means will always be judged honorable, and will be praised by everyone. For the vulgar are taken in by the appearance and the outcome of a thing, and in the world there is no one but the vulgar."
And finally, the kicker, Lesson 5: You may think you're winning, even when you're losing
"Yet one cannot call it virtue to kill one's citizens, betray one's friends, to be without faith, without mercy, without religion: these modes can enable one to acquire empire, but not glory."
In conclusion: I read Machaivelli so I wouldn't have to think about the news, but in reading Machiavelli all I could think about was the news. Mission accomplished, lol.
Next, I will be reading Plato and you will all be subjected to more quotes. I apologize in advance.
