| The following quotes from Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527) give insight into the state of American politics:
- The promise given was a necessity of the past: the word broken is a necessity of the present.
- The vulgar crowd always is taken by appearances, and the world consists chiefly of the vulgar.
- Men are so simple of mind, and so much dominated by their immediate needs, that a deceitful man will always find plenty who are ready to be deceived.
- …he who seeks to deceive will always find someone who will allow himself to be deceived.
- Never attempt to win by force what can be won by deception.
- Of mankind we may say in general they are fickle, hypocritical, and greedy of gain.
- Men in general judge more from appearances than from reality. All men have eyes, but few have the gift of penetration.
- There is no avoiding war, it can only be postponed to the advantage of your enemy.
- Men never do good unless necessity drives them to it; but when they are free to choose and can do just as they please, confusion and disorder become rampant.
Note, Machiavelli is coming at political philosophy from a secular humanist perspective.
Never assume the enemy wants to agree with you. - Randy Lucas |