Cease Fire!

I understand that there is a war against the rich. I'm not really sure who is waging this war. It can't be the United States. I heard last night right from the horse's , excuse me - the President's mouth, that we were getting out of the war business. He went on to say that diplomacy must be given a chance before we unleash our military might. So who is waging this war against the rich? My money (what's left of it) is on the media. TV pundits like wars. More accurately, they like to talk about wars. A war against the rich is just made for TV. It will go on and on, longer than the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Like most wars these days, the war against the rich cannot be won. There will be enormous casualties, mostly among the poor. After all, the rich have all the money-money talks and money buys all sorts of ammunition with which to keep the 'have nots' in their place. Instead of a war against the rich, I suggest a war against Congress. Lets wake up this slumbering bunch of would be legislators. Hell, maybe we can get them to allocate some funds to promote a  social infrastructure which will make the road to riches smoother for all. No one is going to be interested in fighting a war if they really feel that they have a chance to live the American Dream rather than the American Nightmare. Oh well, I can dream can't I? One thing for sure, lets call a cease fire on that war against the rich and opt for some diplomatic solution before we end up with an "American Spring".

Of Machiavelli and Gun Control

" Before all else be armed."
"When you disarm the people, you commence to offend them and show that you distrust them either through cowardice or lack of confidence, and both of these opinions generate hatred."

These are not the words of the National Rifle Association's Wayne Lapierre or the late Charlton Heston. They are the words of Niccolo Machiavelli, proving that today's debate over gun control has actually been going on for centuries. Machiavelli would have been a powerful spokesman for the NRA.

Then there is the following quote from his writings which makes one question "stand your ground" laws (George Zimmerman attack of Trayvon Martin):

"Men rise from one ambition to another: first they seek to secure themselves against attack, and then they attack others."

Machiavelli's words  provide  food for thought about the viciousness and hypocrisy innate in man. No wonder politicians feel they are walking on eggs whenever considering gun control legislation. Machiavelli's writings speak to their dilemma and the fears they face:

"There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things."

Of Politics and Morals

Governor Chris Christie has been quick to say that he is embarrassed and outraged at the role some his advisers played in the "bridgegate" scandal. In assessing Christie's credibility it is well to muse over something which Niccolo Machiavelli said centuries ago:

The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him.

Apologies for the misguided ventures of subordinates is not enough. At the very least, a Christie must make it clear that "the buck stops here" and the electorate has every right to assess his abilitity to lead by the caliber of personnel with which he surrounds himself.

Before expressing shock over political scandals, it is also well to remember another quote from Machiavelli's writings:

Politics have no relation to morals.

Given that politics will always be with us, we have not seen the last of scandals such as Watergate, Bridgegate, Benghazi and Iran-Contra. Neither have we seen the last of misguided wars such as Afghanistan and Iraq.