Antiqauted ideas: machiavelli
.... Unlike in the past, a political figure or candidate must now please the majority of the population. It is imperative that a candidate woos and sways the public in his favor. Furthermore, a candidate must also show that his rival is not qualified to hold office. What this change does is force a candidate to convince the people that he has the power to be a leader, instead of proving it through the use of force. Another major difference between these two government types is the time period that an individual can hold office. A president can only hold two terms of four years, while a prince could have stayed in power as long as they had the military might. This change means that a candidate must constantly reassure the public of his power and dominance, without abusing his power. If he tends towards one extreme or the other, he risks his chances of being re-elected. This dramatically changes the way a president makes his decisions, and how (s)he would present their successes and failures to the public. A president must always be on the look out to cover up any potential sign of weakness or incompetence, and to exploit every strength and success for the most gain. If these two major differences are kept in mind, it becomes much easier to see how Machiavelli’s ideas in The Prince can be applied to our modern day government. “Kerry was one of the most daring skippers in the US Navy, relentlessly and courageously engaging the enemy” This is the way John Kerry’s biography on his campaign website presents the presidential hopeful (“John Kerry in Vietnam”). Why? Why, in this day and age when the President’s main tasks are to sign documents, hold cabinet meetings, and deliver speeches to the public, would it matter that John Kerry was a soldier? John Kerry has spent millions of dollars, and countless hours trying to cement this idea in voter’s minds. It really does seem like a large waste of resources for John Kerry to invest so much in this seemingly insignificant point. However, remembering Machiavelli’s comments on war and office, the reasoning behind this display is obvious. Kerry must prove to voters that he is qualified for office. He must prove that he has the ability to lead, be courageous, and to be a decision-maker; not surprisingly, these are the same qualities found in a fit military leader. Kerry is trying to exploit the fact that he has served in the military, and has earned several prestigious medals. In doing so, he is trying to show voters that he is a military man, a leader, and has the courage to stand in the face of danger- military or otherwise. In this modern democracy, the most efficient way to derail a campaign is to attack a candidates history, credibility, and of course, their military history. The fact that these are the issues groups focus on when attacking a candidate proves that these issues are important to voters, and in turn, prove that Machiavelli’s concepts are not too outdated to be applied to our form of government. Swift Boat Veterans for Truth (SBVT) is one of these groups that target a candidate. This group has had rallies, written books, and aired television ads, all with one purpose: to prove John Kerry is unfit to lead (“Swift Veteran Quotes”). They specifically attack his military record, saying that he is undeserving of his medals, and that his actions after returning to the U.S. were a betrayal to the military. Once again, using Machiavelli’s idea that a leader gains power through the art of war, its apparent that by discrediting Kerry’s military record, SBVT hopes to show the United States that John Kerry is unfit to be a leader. By implanting the idea that a candidate does not have the skills Machiavelli deems essential to a leader, attacks like these can seriously affect the outcome of an election. Since taking office, President Bush has had two major military actions in foreign countries, and has declared “war” on global terrorists (“Safety & Security”). Bush has also sent troops to Haiti in the middle of a coup, pressured Libya to allow weapons inspectors into its country, and has encouraged North Korea to end its nuclear weapons program. It is as if Bush has taken every opportunity to use the power of the U.S.’ influence and military. He also takes every opportunity to inform and remind the American people of these actions. This falls in line with the statements of Machiavelli. President Bush fits the mold of Machiavelli’s The Prince so closely, that it would seem that he is using this ancient text as a “how-to” manual for his presidency. His actio...