Machieavelli’s Values of a Successful Ruler

Cruel to be kind is a commonplace often used in modern society. It suggests using rather bumpy means in order to accomplish benevolent ends. For example a p bent grounds his or her child for a month afterwards the child is caught smoking. The child thinks the punishment austere, but the p arnt inflicted the penalty to aim the child that smoking is unhealthy and that he or she is breaking the law. Niccolo Machiavelli wrote The Qualities of the Prince to record how a ruler should rule and be lucky doing so.He asserts that the prince (or ruler) moldiness use questionable means to be an effective ruler and that a victoryful ruler exhibits questionable or nearly corrupt qualities. lead of these qualities are making integritys only barter war, parsimony, and deceitfulness. Machieavellis values of a successful prince (or ruler) sound remarkably similar to those equated with modern day politicians. The values he praises, however, are seen as faults and would non lead a politician to success straightway.A prince, on that pointfore, must not shoot any other design nor any other thought, nor must he take anything as his profession but war, its institutions, and its disciplines (Jacobus 35). Machiavelli first states that war is very important in conclusion success. Having an overwhelming army is how most princes come into power and how most retrieve power when it is lost. In present day America, all public formals are elected. Although, the process prior to creation elected may very easy be likened to war, no physicality is employed.One may decide to melt down on a platform of war, but is not likely to uprise prosperous as the vast majority of American citizens are hostile to war unless absolutely requisite. There are instances, however, where war is necessary. Were America being invaded, the public would cry for war in order to defend the country. But, using war to gain power in America would be considered a substantial offense, and the perpetrato r could be sentenced to life (likely at the very least) or even be deported. Thus, we see an unnecessary concentration will not lead a politician to prosper.War expends a countrys resource. One of those resources is money. In our times we have not seen great deeds accomplished leave off by those who were considered miserly (Jacobus 39). Thrift is considered a virtue while providence a fault. Being scotch means being more effective with ones money while miserliness refusing to spend it. Thrift is an excellent prime(prenominal) for a politician to have. That means he or she is good at managing money and that is an exceedingly important quality for one to have, especially in this age of foreign debt, inflation, and stock mark instability. Miserliness, on the other hand, denotes bad money management.If a politician is unwilling to spend money, no government- funded programs would specify off of the ground those programs already established would die. Machiavelli comments that in the practice of miserliness the ruler need not impose taxes. As much as any American citizen hates even the thought of taxes, they are absolutely necessary in order to keep our economical system functioning.Perhaps what the norm American hates more than miserliness is deceit. One sees from the experience of our times that the princes who have accomplished great deeds are those who have cared little for retentiveness their promises and who have cognise how to manipulate the minds of men by shrewdness and in the end they have surpassed those who laid their foundations upon honesty (Jacobus 43). The most common stump with which we label politicians is that of having two faces or being deceitful. Politicians are well known for being liars and there is nothing they can do to escape this designation.They are always seen as saying one thing and doing another. He or she makes their platform tax breaks, but when he or she gets into office, they sign a bill to raise taxes. Deceit can onl y take one so far. After the population learns of the deceitful ways of their elected official, that official will not be re-elected. Machiavelli presents compelling arguments as to the success of his qualities. However, presently each of those values are despised by the majority of the American public.It scorns war, it detests miserliness, and it abhors deceit (perhaps this one above all). Therefore, we see that Machiavellis qualities would not lead a present day politician to success. The ideal leader is an honest and thrifty man who can fight his battles without the use of force. These characteristics apparently lead fewer men to successful leadership in the time of Machiavelli. However, One cannot necessitate things to be the same in this era as they were when Machiavelli lived, but there are some interesting parallels that present themselves when his words are analyzed.