Season 3 Podcast 119 The Road to Power Machiavellian Pragmatism Rule # 07

The Road to Power Machiavellian Pragmatism Rule # 07.In earlier podcasts I presented 40 of the rules given by Nicolo Machiavelli in his book “The Prince” on how to gain power and how to hold power. The rules assume that there is no conscience and no accountability to a higher power. There is only the present. The rules are ruthless and do not account for human suffering.  William Shakespeare studied The Prince, which was dedicated to Lorenzo de’Medici, governor of Florence. Machiavelli hoped to gain favors from the governor. “The Prince,” otherwise known as “The Little Book,” was written in 1513.In one of his plays Shakespeare refers to Machiavelli as Mackeval and Shakespeare in his plays such as King Lear, Macbeth, Hamlet, Richard III and others including the history plays of Henry IV dramatically illustrate the tragedy for following Machiavellian rules.  In the play King Lear, Lear said “Through tatter'd clothes small vices do appear; Robes and furr'd gowns hide all. Plate sin with gold, And the strong lance of justice hurtless breaks: Arm it in rags, a pigmy's straw does pierce it.” William Shakespeare’s King Lear.Machiavellian Pragmatism disregards truth, liberty, justice, mercy, integrity, honesty, obligation, equity, fairness, rights, the laws of God, decency, courtesy, humanity, kindness, duty or any other virtue required in a peaceful society. The rise to power must be ruthless and unfettered by moral conscience.  Generally speaking, ‘pragmatism’ means to do whatever works.  Machiavellian Pragmatism means that the ends justify the means which is Machiavellian Rule # 1.Machiavellian Rule # 01: “In the actions of men, and especially of princes, from which there is no appeal, the end is everything.”   According to Machiavelli, any method, whether good or evil, kind or cruel, peaceful or violent, just or unjust is justified in gaining power and holding power. By devoting themselves to a cause, they simply follow their predatorial instincts, governed by ambition and opportunity. Collusion is necessary where large numbers are involved and all those who profit from the leader’s ambition must buy into the same values. The visionary John saw this in our day as one of the first signs of the downfall of society.  15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six. (Revelation 14)John is describing the secret societies that will rise in our day and control the economy of the world. Notice that they will kill anyone who does not bow down to their system. It is told in metaphorical language, “that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.” The mark, which could be a password, fingerprint, eye print or computer chip, they receive gives them special privileges over those who do not belong to the secret society. They are the only ones who will be able to buy or sell. Machiavellian Pragmatism has complete disregard for human rights, justice, human suffering.