An incredible article by a 15 year old, printed in the Orlando Sentinel!

someone posted this earlier, but it's worth another shot, only 10 of you have bothered to read it.
> Machiavellian Bush
> --------------------
>
> By Alexander Hart
> New Voices
>
> July 19, 2003
>
> Recently, I read The Prince. Niccolo Machiavelli writes that the ideal ruler is ruthless and will do anything to enhance his own power or his nation's. His overall political philosophy is simple: The ends justify the means.
>
> Although The Prince is almost 500 years old, President Bush appears to believe in Machiavellian politics. His Patriot Act allows the government to delve deeply into our personal lives. In the interest of "national security," we're losing something precious -- the Bill of Rights. When the Constitution was created, many were afraid it gave the national government too much power. The Founding Fathers promised a bill of rights to guarantee the freedom of the people. Now, these rights are being eroded. Warrants for wiretapping are much easier for the government to acquire. The suspect's name isn't even needed. Other invasions of privacy and personal freedom are also permissible under the Patriot Act. Is it still safe to exercise my First Amendment rights and write this commentary? Do I have to fear being wiretapped? If the answer to that is yes, are the means allowable under the Patriot Act justified by the goal of total national security? No.
>
> Machiavelli wrote, "Injuries ought to be done all at one time, so that, being tasted less, they offend less; benefits ought to be given little by little, so that the flavor of them may last longer." Once again, it seems Bush agrees. We lost a lot of privacy in one fell swoop with the Patriot Act. The decision to invade Iraq also happened over a relatively short amount of time.
>
> However, Bush made campaign promises for Social Security reform, reduction of the national debt and protection of the environment. He is almost three years into his term, and where are we? There was a meager Social Security increase, we have a rapidly inflating national debt, and the president has repeatedly pushed for drilling in a wildlife refuge. Either he is following Machiavelli's advice and giving out the good things slowly, or they just aren't coming.
>

EDITED BY ADMIN: COPYRIGHT

>
> Alexander Hart, 15, is a sophomore in the international baccalaureate program at Winter Park High School.
>
> Copyright (c) 2003, Orlando Sentinel
>
> Visit OrlandoSentinel.com

i hate that little troll.

Yeah, in true Libertarian fashion he only cares about himself.. individual this, personal that.. He and his like fail to understand the obligation of freedom and independence to all men and women.

I wish I could write articles but I am only a poet and fighter. Thats some good stuff be cool if he came to DU.

and the fact that it's written by a 15 year old makes it even better. There is hope for the future of America...




Dave (AmyStrange.com)

DU (slang/ folklore) Glossary (Dictionary): http://DUG.SeattleActivist.org/
Index of WMD Articles: http://WMD.SeattleActivist.org/

Here are some excellent resources and timelines of quotes and interviews and newspaper article quotes documenting the different things Bush and Co did and said for the last two plus years concerning the war in Iraq and WMDs (and other fun things) from the Howard Dean Website---even if you're not a Dean Fan, these are still excellent resources:

The Bush Administration And WMDs: Then And Now:
http://www.deanforamerica.com/site/PageServer?pagename=bush_wmd_summary

Niger-Uranium Timeline:
http://www.deanforamerica.com/site/PageServer?pagename=niger_timeline

Bush and WMD: Assumptions vs. Reality:
http://www.deanforamerica.com/site/DocServer/TikTok_-_Bush_-_Iraq_-_Side_by_Side.pdf?docID=781

The Bush Administration and WMD: What did they know and when did they know it?:
http://www.deanforamerica.com/site/DocServer/TikTok_-_Administration_-_Iraq_Deception.pdf?docID=762

....

It's right out of The Prince

Please read DU's rules regarding copyright--a maximum of four paragraphs is allowed.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/forums/rules.html#copyright

Thanks,

Dirk - DU Moderator

Expecting sponsorship and reward, he was writing a ruthlessly honest compendium of ACTUAL practices, timeworn and true that the princes did NOT want publicized. It was PNAC without the idealistic gloss and smarm. It was so honest in reporting the cynicism of the rulers that the book was banned and I think Macchiavelli impoverished, not rewarded. Nowadays he would of course be too mild for the talk show circuit and not fakely idealistic enough, not a participant in the opressive process itself, probably lost in the bowels of some corporate think tank or other.

The SOB's do this stuff like normal people breathe air. Macchiavelli read the dictators not the other way round. And Bush is no Renaissance model of leadership or stately power. He is a train wreck, a caricature of everything bad about tyranny, dirty politics and incompentent government despoiling the state for particular profit. Usually in those less enlightened days you got deposed and hung for half the things Bush has done so badly.

Macchiavelli is a more high brow version of Dick Morris, only with culture and brains.

There are a lot of adults who haven't acquired your wisdom or insight. And with Fox News on the scene, they never will.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/orl-edpnewvoices19b071903jul19,0,3072260.story?coll=orl-opinion-headlines

Alexander Hart is very intelligent and articulate. Just the kind of American bushista's hate. It was an excellent editorial, very good analysis and commentary. The chimp can't fool anyone with a brain.

Sonia