New States 1 By One's Own Arms example essay topic

Machiavelli's Ideal Prince It seems all the 'great thinkers' of ancient times believed that there had to be a class of oppressors who deserved to have control, and a class of the oppressed who should live in subjection of the elite. Machiavelli is no different and believes "men ought either to be well-treated or crushed" (3). In his writing he explains how one determines who in the state is crushed and who will crush them. As he talks about colonizing on page three he believes the natives of one place to be under conquering people because inherent in winning is superiority. Machiavelli even says "he [the ruler] offends a minority only of the citizens from whom he takes lands and houses to give them to the new inhabitants" (3). He is openly saying that the way to rule a state is to charge in to surrounding territory, take other people's property to make your own, and this will keep your followers happy.

I feel this is a way to force your way to the top, and once there the cycle of oppression has to continue to for one to stay up there. I see the United States as beginning to be a world bully. I have said before that the U.S. is hiding behind the 'War on Terrorism' to go into the middle east and try to take what the easterners have and conform them into what we want, and if a few U.S. citizens have to go over there and show them how to live then we will do it to expand our 'pure' way of life. I heard in the movie Tommy Boy, "what the American public doesn't know, makes them the American public".

I heard this quote as I wrote my paper and it summed up how the government treats the American public, and this is how Machiavelli believes a country should be run, with only the powerful needing to be informed to make decisions and no decision is made with the needs other than that of the ruler. There are three ways to conquer and acquire new states 1) by one's own arms, 2) by one's good fortune, and 3) by wickedness. In comparison there are three ways to keep a society under control, 1) ruin the society, 2) live with them and convert them your way of life, or 3) allow them to live their way and keep things friendly between them. I would like to refer to the United States as a place that came across their independence by our own arms or good fortune, and we preserve this nation by all living together, but sadly I believe sometimes we fell that we have to eliminate diversity. Every time I read a 'great' idea I wonder who deemed it great.

After all the readings that encourage oppression I get more and more frustrated at how far back the roots of racism go and why it is so hard to overcome the habits we have lived with since, really, the beginnings of society. The Prince. Machiavelli, Nicole. Trans. W. K Marriott.

Internet Medieval Sourcebook. March, 1998. October 3, 2002.