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the goofy thing about this whole situation is that none of it was or is necessary: the bushpeople did not adequately respond to warnings they recieved (and on video), they watched on tv as the worst scenario unfolded, were slow and inadequate, as an administration, to respond, etc etc etc.
when machiavelli talks about the prince, the manner of getting to power is secondary. however you get there, mr. prince, you are there and you need to act.
the main category around which the whole theory of action on the part of the prince is fashioned is "vitu"--which means many things---some are inward (strategic acumen, tactical efficacy, the ability to think in instrumental terms), some are attributes that would be accorded by the publc as a function of successful manipulation of opinion (manliness, purposefulness, etc.) and some are a function of appearing to control situations (luck).
this administration has none of these working for it at this point.
the neocons like to quote machiavelli--the prince is one of those texts that enables them to imagine that their planless, formless mode of thinking about the exercise of power amounts to a realpolitik.
on that basis they like to claim for themselves the cateogry of "realist" while all who oppose them are relegated to "idealism"
you see this often enough.
but it is funny how political history seems to work itself out: how often illegitimate powers find themselves confronted with no luck. everything that happens turns out to be the worst scenario. or nearly.
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a gramophone its corrugated trumpet silver handle
spinning dog. such faithfulness it hear
it make you sick.
-kamau brathwaite
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