The scary Machiavellian way.

Machiavelli. Been thinking about him lately. Maybe because I’m living in Italy. And Machiavelli was Italian. I’m interested in anything Italian. Including the Italian mind. A Machiavellian mind. That we humans tend to be brutes. Especially in the political realm. And therefore politicians need to deal with each other in brutal ways. In order to protect the public interest. Also known as the common good.    Machiavelli essentially argued that playing nice often is ineffective. Therefore, he says it’s best to annihilate one’s enemies in any and every way. The ends justify the means. For instance, using drones to kill terrorists. Including  American citizens that may be construed as aiding and abetting terrorism. I’d not want to be the politician (Obama) who decides to do precisely that. Another reason for me to steer clear of politics. Leaving the dirty work to the politicians. I’m hearing Obama speak like a true disciple of Machiavelli. That by committing an immoral act today, it’s gonna prove to be the right/moral thing in the long-term future. That it’s all right to murder bad guys. For the sake of preserving or creating a good society. Thing is, many politicians (Republicans) would just as soon thwart/murder the good guys to bring about a suspect society. Scary, isn’t it? –Jim Broede