Niccolò Machiavelli is definitely a very interesting, and undoubtedly controversial figure in not just philosophy and history over all, but also in reference to political and governmental aspects of society today. The question as to whether The Prince serves an accurate depiction of how politics occurs in modern states appears to me, in a sense, to be a loaded/complex question. I say this based on the notion that from a surface perspective, many of his suggested techniques for government if blatantly applied today would still be viewed as downright tyrannical, villainous, hateful, cruel, diabolical, and treacherous as they have been for over 500 years. However, upon closer inspection and unmasked breakdown of how politics operate in the modern states, his depictions look quite valid, and somewhat accurate, being employed in some form or fashion despite popular belief. If I am interpreting correctly, there are actually several resemblances of how politics occur in modern states that can be seen. A major occurrence I believe is the correlation between Machiavelli’s stance that governments propagate and are contingent upon myths, conceptual, or even religious validation of authority “thus it is well to seem merciful, faithful, humane, sincere, and religious” (Somerville 1963, 123). The correlation is present in the United States employment …show more content…
Despite our membership and alliance with the group, the U.S. was recently being found spying on a NATO member country Germany, through phone intelligence... and isn’t the first time. If that’s not the antithesis of trusting thine neighbor, (albeit it for supposed purposes of … ‘national security’…) I’m not sure what is, but none the less, it was a direct violation of NATO ally policies and a direct reflection of the Machiavellian stance on this