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Machiavelli and "the Memo"

Earlier I praised reading hotheads on the internet. As long as a reader can gloss over emotional rants over their hobbyhorses, one idea in their post might be useful.

And this benefit came again, when reading about the memo. Yes, that memo. Let's not waste each other's time preaching about morality, integrity, what the 'Founding Fathers' would have thought, good versus evil, or any other irrelevancies.

Let's look at it the way Machiavelli would have: as power-seeking leaders think of things as they try to get what they want. 

Some Republican pundits were disgusted with how long it was taking to bring The Memo out, since that was giving the Democrats time to organize a counterattack. 

Have the Republicans failed to gain what they should have from this scandal?  And is sheer stoopidity the only reason for this?

Actually the Republicans had a good reason to hesitate bringing the memo out to the public. Think back to Watergate: Nixon and the Republicans had won big in 1972. The Democrats and the Media really had something big to gain by partially reversing the Republicans gains of 1972.

But today, how can Republicans gain much by embarrassing the Democrats for anything the Democrats (and fellow travelers) did in the last election?  The Democrats lost the last election, so it is just yesterday's news.

All that counts is the next election. And in it, the Republicans would like to use the Deep State as a political tool to sink Democrats. By bringing out the FBI's abuses and shining light on them, the Republicans will be held back from employing the Democrats' dirty tricks of 2016 to the Republicans' advantage in the next election.

Machiavelli doesn't want to hear hypocritical sermons about lies and cheating. All politicians do that. The question is who does it more effectively?

Comments

Sondra said…
Exactly TRUMP won...so what difference does this so called "Enlightening" memo make at this point. It was written by a man with bias for his party, prior to the election. The Russian Collusion, since he did WIN becomes, more of a factor. The FBI didn't stop his win, The Russians may have helped his win...that is why this Memo is not even a good smoke screen.
Anonymous said…
"The question is who does it more effectiely?" Do you mean Republicans or Democrats? Which party lies and cheats more effectively?

Chris
The question was rhetorical. A proper Machiavellian doesn't worry about lieing and cheating. All that matter is does it get them what they want?
It is known that they are all liars.

The Memo shows that they also lie to judges and the courts for their warrents.

The question should be...
Why do we the people give politicians and judges life time appointments?

Term Limits will limit this corruption.

The original Constitution called for 2 year term and that is it. We should change it to one year, look at all that Trump did in one year. There are 300+million people who can run each year.

It's not selfish to take care of oneself, it is a prime derective and in human society, there is a right way and a wrong way to full fill the prime derective.
So why do we believe that politicians, judges and government workers put aside their genetic prime derective and with the mantel of government become angels, only taking care of others, never lie, never puting their own interest first?

This false belief in government is the problem. People believe that Government is there to take care of them.

Sorry, it's not. Government is full of people like us, we will always take care of ourselves first because that is how it is, to believe other wise only sets you up to be taken advantage of or worse.

Wake up. This Memo shows government is where the smartest criminals feel safest. Because they are such skilled liars, we must limit their corruption to one year if they get in to Government.

While we are at it, we need to ban the income tax and prohibit Governments from borrowing money. Rome survived for 500 years with out an income tax or borrowing money. It was unfunded pension plans that braught them down.
Al Bossence said…
Think I saw you & Coffee Girl at the Gathering Grounds this a.m. We had grabbed a coffee and had been driving around. Kelly
Make sure the Pheebs catches up on her reading at the Patagonia library -- they allow dogs inside, and Pheebs would be a big hit!
Anonymous said…
Harkening back to your recent message on militarism, it would appear that Drumpf wants a multi-million dollar parade to honor the military (and himself). You really stirred up the pot, Boonie.

Chris