Machiavelli 2011.

"The end might survive !"

Before his time, his beliefs were already very much in practice. After giving them a princely stature and putting them on paper, the slogans gained greater notoriety, recognition and further adoption, for the satisfaction and delight to his folloers and practioners.

The practices are actually as old as the mountains. Machiavelli only spearheaded their revival in a more emphatic way. They were planted in the first heavenly garden at Eden, where the forerunners of Karamazov vented their ire, with the stronger gaining supremacy.

Might is right. Money, wealth, large numbers and a few cunning brains, boost power. This explains the huge investment in arms, the larger number of men and women in combat uniform and belligerent equipment, which have become vital to make might right. Both nations and individuals aspire to become mighty through these measures. A look around in times of conflict, as well as in times of apparent peace, the mighty nations impose their beliefs on the weaker societies.

To make matters worse, the personal likes and dislikes of the leaders compound the situation. Personal animosities have often started vast conflagrations. It was Helen's attractive face, and pique between the leaders of the two city-states, "that launched a thousand ships," and led to the siege of Troy and its consequences.

In other words, and back on track, there is no doubt nowadays that the mighty is equipped with measures of double standars and treble dealings. Hypocrisy is often evident, but never recognised. What is wrong, unjust and dangerous for a country, is often made to appear correct, just and safe for another. Emissaries sometimes foment discontent by being double thinkers and treble talkers.

Their ends justify their means.

Leaders often stick to a seemingly positive slogan which satisfies only a corner of the globe. This is often orchestrated by a very poweful weapon, namely, the media, which to-day takes front seat. The slant in the media, probably always suggested by the mighty, make illicit actions look legal, aggressive behaviour docile and unauthorised activites well within the law.

This often leads to governance by mobs, riots and masses. There is practically always agitators and agent provovateur on the scene, or behind them.

What follows is the destruction of property, unstable governing oligarchies, and systematic ethnic cleansing, with innumerable loss of lives, the less responsible being nearly always the losers. The number of widows, the humiliation of the young and the upsurge of crime become a commonplace. Poverty and epidemics complete the sombre picture. Sad human scenarios, indeed !

To summarise: remembering the statement "the end might survive," which introduced this piece, the above can be encapsulated by twinning "end" with "the end justifies the means," and "might" with "might is right," and "survive," with "survival of the fittest."

There are more peaceful and civilised ways and means to bring about changes for the better anywhere where people are oppressed, gagged , and though "they are born free, yet they are still in chains."

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