Machiavelli's Prince in the White House?

We're discussing Machiavelli's "The Prince" in my World History class. It is not the first time I have endured this work of philosophy, which is probably the reason that my brain is off in left-field wondering: did Bush ever read it? has Obama? I am pretty sure the later would have sometime on his way to or passing through Harvard, not quite sure about the former though.

This actually seems fitting, Bush just never got that he had to appear to the world as a (virtuous) man and yet actually be the beast. But it is a thin line as Machiavelli explains, the prince cannot be cruel to the point of fear or hatred (the point Bush eventually reached with US action in Afghanistan or Iraq, if you were wondering), instead one must use cruelty to derive absolute respect instead through complimenting it with humanity and prudence. At his post-September 11th height, Bush was seen with absolute respect because he was able to not only look cruelly upon those who served to do the country harm, but still act with humanity towards the people of the state and our allies in the world.

Machiavelli also speaks about generosity on the part of the prince, which for some reason made me think of taxes. The thing Bush forgot, and most republicans too, is that if one is too overly generous, then the subject loses all appreciation and will turn to greed. "Lower Taxes! Lower Taxes! the populous will keep demanding. In being overly generous the prince exhausts resources which in the long run not only makes taxes be raised in the long term (national debt ringing a bell?), but causes grief which leads to hatred and hatred is the one thing that Machiavelli says the prince should stay clear from. That would seem to explain why Bush has an approximately 20% approval rating, even though he lowered taxes. Wise princes should be more willing to be labeled as ungenerous, then to be hated for trying to be too generous argued Machiavelli. I know that Obama had to propose tax cuts to beat McCain, but it makes me wonder what more people will demand in 2012.

Unlike Aristotle who saw virtue as derivative of the highest good, Machiavelli attacks the argument that virtuous action be in all behaviors. For this metaphysical approach to politics is inconsistent with reality. Virtue, Machiavelli argues, is abstract and does not concern itself with consequences. An Machiavellian virtue is one that is only a virtue in so far that it is praised by man as being virtuous. Understanding this, Machiavelli's view becomes a little more realistic.

But this is where I break with Machiavelli's argument. His view of human nature is that man is "ungrateful, fickle, false, cowardly, and covetous." Further, by nature men are deceitful and untrustworthy, they break promises, and are impressed only by appearances and results. So while man may respect and even praise virtue most men, however, do not possess it themselves. This view of human nature is important because it underlies all of Machiavelli's suggestions for princely actions. For if the populace were intelligent (I like to think I am, after all here I am blogging about Machiavelli and modern day politics) well-educated, and aware of history, the prince would be unable to affect public opinion, which is integral to the prince's successful leadership. For Machiavelli's suggestions about princely behavior to be beneficial the prince must be smarter than all the people.

Which in a round about way gets me back to modern day politics. Bush just wasn't smart enough to be president. Really the Bush-Palin SNL skit said it when it satired Bush saying "the office of vice-president is the most important office in the land...the president can do nothing without checking with the vice-president first." The skit was funny because it was true. In Machiavelli's terms Cheney was Bush's beast, ironically the prince was afraid of him because he had no control over said beast (UN Security council & Iraq anyone?). Obama on the other hand is smart, I think he is probably a lot smarter than most people give him credit for and that says a lot, because he is probably one of the most brilliant minds of his generation. We have seen him as the man, the consummate politician but the question comes does he have the beast inside him? And surely he will need that beast to accomplish anything in this town. Yet with 24 hour cable news as the mind of the populous, I don't know whether Obama would surpass. For what the media lacks in intelligence they make up for with tenacity, catchy phases, spiffy graphics. talking heads, and hologram technology.

Did you vote today?

Technically I voted Saturday, but I just wanted to say that no matter who you vote for make sure you vote.

Ashley is...

1. 9:29 - blogging from the 3rd and final presidential debate of the 2008 election season. Only 20 more days to the election. Doesn't it seem like it was just Iowa primary season?
2. 9:30 - not going to be appologetic for expressing her opinion in the following posts... if you don't like them, stop reading.
3. 9:32 - thinking that McCain looks like a turtle peaking out of his shell at the economy!
4. 9:34 - thinking that from McCain's statement about being proud of the people at his ralleys that he supports every right wing conservative nut job in the nation.
5. 9:36 - thinking McCain just made Obama's argument for him in calling Ayers a "washed up terrorist" isn't Ayers just that washed up. Additionally don't we all deserve a second chance in life.
6. 9:40 - thinking Obama's response to Ayers and Acorn was articulate and spun fantastically into an issue of working across the aisle. If you want to criticize me with my relationship to this man, then you are going to need to criticize your fellow republicans as well. Then he turned it into how this man will not be advising him in office, but he will depend on the experts in their fields, both those on either side of the aisle. Again, great well scripted answer.
7. 9:42 - loving Bob 'the Moderator' Schieffer for his question on why the candidates chose their VP,but Obama's answer is weak, but I am holding my breath for McCain's response. After Obama did not take the opportunity to opening criticize Palin, McCain has the gull to go after Biden, a man who has said he has been proud to have worked with McCain in the past. This may come back to haunt McCain, it showed his desperation.
8. 9:46 - saying Palin is NOT my role model and I am a woman!
9. 9:49 - wondering after McCain's arguement about Nuclear power being safe if McCain will invite power companies to build Nuclear Power Plants next to ever one of his how many houses! I sure as heck don't want one near where I live. Chernobyl anyone? It may be safe 99.99% of the time, but it is that .01 percent that scares the shit out of me.
10. 9:49 - if you hadn't realized it, I think I am going to vote Obama.
11. 9:50 - wondering why we need oil or nuclear power when we could depend on green energies. Obama, McCain, where are the fuel standards? where is the money for R & D?
12. 9:53 - curious what we are importing from Columbia... cocaine?
13. 9:56 - psyched the question is back on econ!!! Poor, Poor McCain, are you going to go hide back in your turtle shell?
14. 9:58 - OT - my absentee ballot came today. I am going to vote are you?
15. 10:04 - agreeing with Carol, is the 3rd Presidential Debate presented by Joe the Plumber''s Plumbing Business, from middle of nowhere, USA. Joe doesn't need the government's help any more, after all the references to him during the debate, he'll never need to advertise again. BTW, you can visit his website at www.joetheplumber.com, lol!
16. 10:05 - Does the average healthcare package cost 5,800 or 12,800 dollars, there is a big difference. And anyways if McCain is only giving american 5,000 doesn't that mean that 800 is coming out of our pockets. Apparently McCain can't add. Maybe he is a product of the American education system that he doesn't seem to want to fix.
17. 10:06 - OT- worried about the Dodgers, who are losing against the Phillies 5-0.
18. 10:08 - wondering which congressman planted a bomb in Congress as according to McCain it almost "exploded" back when they were looking at Supreme Court Nominees?
19. 10:11 - and has believed that it is not the governments place to legislate the abortion issue. End of issue. Period.
20. 10:13 - thinking you should go look at Christina's update on McCain being left-handed. Christina's comment, "Tina noticed that McCain is lefthanded, according to Ethiopian beliefs, he's evil"
21. 10:16 - pointing out the stupidity in the idea that you make abortion illegal and then not provide education on the consequences of having sex or their access to birth control and contreceptives. And does anyone want to point out that historically in America there has been a direct corelation between the legalization of abortion and lower crime rates. And anyways, people are going to have abortions anyways, its going to happen. So why don't we make it safe for all parties involved.
22. 10:18 - would take Obama's $4,000 college tax credit. Too bad it would be a year late. McCain how much will you give me? oh none? Really?!
23. 10:21 - saying that putting money into charter schools takes money out of public schools and I don't think we should give up on public schools for everyone. Charter schools drain resources and the best teachers. IMHO, the governement should pay off loans for students who go on to teach, and pay for or provide grants for master's program and professional development training.
24. 10:23 - OT - currenlty watching the debate from Leo's at the most amazing free dinner event. Thanks Georgetown, there is a reason that this school is one of the best government programs in the nation! Go Hoyas!
25. 10:25 - thinking the DC school district isn't an issue of charter schools but an issue of Socio-economic problems and disparities. Bad example McCain.
26. 10:27 - OT - loving her facebook feature on her Blackberry. This is really fun.
27. 10:29 - wondering if McCain voted to pass the DC budget, if so he voted for vouchers for schools. According to his argument he has been using against Obama voting for the bill is supporting... so McCain are you for or against voucher programs? Bills are complicated things, they are christmas trees that get weighed down. It is the cost of doing business, can't we just acknowledge it and move it.
28. 10:30 - finding the closing arguments to be dull in comparison to the debate. Obama's was articulate and I loved his promise at the end. Just found out, no teleprompters used, the candidate's relied on good old memorization baby!
29. 10:32 - thinking this was the best of the three debates, by far. So who do you think won?
30. 10:37 - we took a vote, 3-0 Obama wins. But then again we are educated liberal elites. Oh yeah and we are women, 2 of which are hispanic.... go figure?!
31. 10:39 - Hope you enjoyed this... and remember No matter who you vote for, Make sure you vote on November 4th. Good night and God Bless.

That faitful decision....

I don't know when I decided to not vote for McCain. Oh yeah, it was right about the moment that he chose Sarah Palin as his running mate. That was the last straw, well actually it was in the 3rd debate when he called Palin the role model for every woman in America. Personally I took great offense to that, particularly after the interview with Katie. And the pundits say that people don't vote based off of the VP slot... yeah right!

A year ago, before Iowa, when he was just a senator and not a presidential candidate I would have voted for him. Now not so much. Somewhere over the last year, in order to win the election, McCain lost his balls. I don't agree for a minute that he is "The Maverick." In this election he tucked his tail between his legs as he ran from the moderate to the right. Every word he says is aimed at pleasing his home base. For me the choice of Palin for Vp epitomized this campaign strategy. I don't doubt that someone in his campaign feared that if he alienated the base they wouldn't show up on election day, and with Obama's growing popularity (new voter alone would overwhelm McCain) it was decided that it was no longer a race of ideas, but a game of numbers and getting people to the polls. Sadly, I think after her performance more people came to the polls anti-Palin then for her.

Why I voted for Obama is an entirely different story.

The First Day of School

Today was the day... okay, "THE" day was actually 17 years ago, and my parents dressed me in a blue and white striped dress. With a barrette in my hair and tears in their eyes they took the obligatory photographs and filled with thoughts that their little girl was growing up way to fast, they took my hand and walked me into the kindergarten classroom at Open Window School. Boy have the years passed by and now the time has come... I am all grown up. No photographs today, but if there were they would show that with excitement, not tears, brimming I began my first day of my senior year of college.

I woke early (5:45am) and drove a friend to the airport before returning to campus to start my day. Even though today was Wednesday, Monday classes met (I know it is a Georgetown Thing). So my sole class was in the afternoon and it had several other students that I know from previous semesters along with myself wandering around the building looking for an elusive room number 270. It turns out that it is a tuked away conference room. The room held a camera mounted near the projector, and the 18 of us all sitting in leather swivel chairs around the mahogany table. The course on the silk road is being taught in tandem with a course at Fudan University in Shanghai and we are hoping for many opportunities for cross-cultural communication and education. And since the University is all over the opportunity to increase ties with China we were treated to the posh accommodations. Then again it just might have been because they felt sorry for us, being that we are the guinea pigs in this. Regardless, after the first day of class and knowing the work load involved I am even more excited.

The day also included 2 trips to Leo's Dining Hall (which I am going to try to muster throughout the semester). Lunch was a fairly descent BBQ Turkey wrap, fries, and grapes. Dinner was spaghetti, which I ate with 2 of GT's BBall players. The food tastes interesting enough, but because the cafeteria is packed to capacity by the time you wait in line, the food is either gone or cold. Hopefully the kinks will work out in the days ahead. That or I am going to start eating at 5 o'clock on the dot. The evening involved talking with friends in front of Healy Lawn and the floor meeting. Strangely enough I discovered I am on a floor with almost all Sophomores. At 22, and legal, I felt a bit old! No offense to anyone out there! But it is one more reminder that I am in my senior year.

I am now writing this from a friend's dorm room that is a floor below mine. The others are busy focusing on the DNC convention in general and Biden's speech in particular. I must say that so far, he is a half way decent speaker. Additionally I thought that the end of Clinton's speech was half-way decent but not the best I've heard from him. Kerry's was not only only direct attack at McCaain but actually pretty funny, and Biden's is moving and I loved the Freudian slip. BTW Biden's youngest daughter (26 y.o.) is a Georgetown Alum, so we are all hoping for a visit to campus and speech closer to election day. Currently I listen with open ears but am actually already studying away at Chinese. I think I'll head to bed in the next hour. Hope you are all having a good day! See you tomorrow!