Sharon Kennedy: Machiavelli: The path to power

“A man may rise to power when the ascent is made by paths of wickedness and crime or when a private person becomes ruler of his country by the favour of his fellow citizens.”

Although this quote is from Machiavelli’s 1513 work, “The Prince” published in Italy 19 years later, it remains relevant today. Especially pertinent is the 1954 introduction written by American philosopher and educator, Irwin Edwin, who wrote: “Machiavellian has become a synonym for political artfulness and ruthless conspiracy. … It identifies an attitude, a point of view or the principle of politics without principle.”

So here we are, nearly a quarter of the way into a new century and I’m quoting something from the 1500s. American voters have spoken and might confirm what Machiavelli predicted: “When the power of the Roman Empire and the Catholic Church weakened, men questioned the old sanctions.” In his introduction, Edwin wrote, “Machiavelli foresaw a prince strong enough to be ruler of a united Italy. In a country divided among rival bands of feuding noble bandits and profligate and ambitious Popes and Cardinals, he saw no other hope than anarchy.” Replace bandits, Popes and Cardinals with Republicans and Democrats and you get the modern picture.

When all the votes are counted, we could be heading for a non-democratic republic. As I write this, it’s still too early to know if key gubernatorial races and Congressional seats will be controlled by Trump clones or rational Democrats. Democracy is on the line. Republicans argue it doesn’t work well for the working guy. It squanders money on people who won’t work and live off the sweat of those who do. It’s never gonna change until the system changes through a newly elected swarm of gaslighters yearning for a strong “prince.” The art of the impossible might become a reality.

People no better than those currently in power and raking in millions of dollars from lobbyists and billionaires are ready to take over and claim their share of the money pot. If you think the midterms were about electing candidates who will fulfill all your needs and make your life a cakewalk, pardon me while I throw up. The election was about grabbing a piece of the power pie before the stock market crashes and the U.S. goes belly-up.

Do I want this to happen? Of course not, but one little pea cannot support the weight of a gallon of milk. The pea will be crushed. So why do we expect taxpayers to continue bankrolling the extravagant lifestyle of elected officials while we struggle to pay our utility, gas and grocery bills? They’re supposed to serve us, but they decided servants should make more money and have better benefits than their masters. Regardless of the label they attach to their names, their hands are outstretched to grab all they can get while the getting is still good.

The principal theme of “The Prince” is basically the means justify the ends. Machiavelli would have loved Trump. Then as now, it was a time of political transition. Machiavelli believed only a strong ruler could bring the authority demanded to quell division among the ranks and create peace. Perhaps that kind of unchecked power was acceptable in 16th century Italy, but it doesn’t belong in the hands of one man and his accomplices in 21st century America. Flawed as they are, I hope the lesser of two evils remain in Washington and enforce the rule of law.

— To contact Sharon Kennedy, send her an email at authorsharonkennedy.com. Kennedy's new book, "View from the SideRoad: A Collection of Upper Peninsula Stories," is available from her or Amazon.

This article originally appeared on The Sault News: Sharon Kennedy: Machiavelli: The path to power