Castro offically steps down

[åron]

Ypu guys can take all history out of context and revise it all you want.And then try to apply to the last 200 years. I don't buy it. It doesn't matter what Mach wrote. It doesn't matter what the Romans did. It's all about the founding of the United States. That is the benchmark as screwed up as we are.

I'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm freeeeee!


As long as The Prince remains required reading, it matters. As long as we consider these works as required reading for the political and business leaders of today, the influence is there.

[åron]

I highlighted the Pax Romana because I KNEW it was not a correct example of Macchiavellian ideals, since you can not use an example as outdated as that and plant it on a modern day situation like the one Spivonious was suggesting. That'd be the mortal sin ( ) of hineininterpretierung!

I am unsure as to how exactly you factor in slavery in the supposed 'decline' of the Roman Empire and I'd love to hear your ideas on it.

The Machiavellian ideal is part observation and part intuition. It makes sense that a patriarchal figure that is all powerful and cares about justice and prosperity will get the best results for the widest array of the citizenry. The lords of his day that governed thusly had the love of their peoples and the fear of their rivals.

I'm not in total agreement that examples from our distant past shouldn't be applied to the present day. IMO, we're mostly the same silly violent apes we've always been!

Actually, I brought up slavery since it is a potential conflict with the contention that the Pax was indeed a time of human contentedness. I guess I was just stirring the pot . I know a fair number of folks who feel like slaves to their own "masters" these days, anyway. :ROTF:

[Cygnus X1]

The Machiavellian ideal is part observation and part intuition. It makes sense that a patriarchal figure that is all powerful and cares about justice and prosperity will get the best results for the widest array of the citizenry. The lords of his day that governed thusly had the love of their peoples and the fear of their rivals.

I'm not in total agreement that examples from our distant past shouldn't be applied to the present day. IMO, we're mostly the same silly violent apes we've always been!

Actually, I brought up slavery since it is a potential conflict with the contention that the Pax was indeed a time of human contentedness. I guess I was just stirring the pot . I know a fair number of folks who feel like slaves to their own "masters" these days, anyway. :ROTF:

The idea that a single ruler of a populace (as embodied by holier-than-thou types like the Clintonistas)...

Fugget. Nevermind.

I find it difficult to support my stance without taking up 500 words or less.
It's simply an inane argument.
Go, GoR, your turn. I'm in your corner on this one.

[Tashtego]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,337813,00.html

The current system works for Cuba and they love Castro. People seem to be quite happy in Cuba(at least, they have their dignity), so there's noıthing else to say.

[fett]

Sign 'em up.:ROTF: Forget the paperwork.

[ABSOLUT CHARVEL]

more to come, i'm sure ....

[StukaJU87]

The current system works for Cuba and they love Castro. People seem to be quite happy in Cuba(at least, they have their dignity), so there's noıthing else to say.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,337813,00.html

Norton, you think they missed Cuba so much that they swam back?:ROTF:

[toejam]

Fuck Cuba and anyone arguing about Cuba...

+1. My friend's aunt married a Cuban guy (I guess he's in his late 40s), and they had three kids. Castro put testosterone and growth hormones and some shit in the food to make a strong army. Well, apparently it didn't do much to the people at the time, it skipped a generation, his three kids have the effects (the youngest is now 18)... they're fucking huge and do have some slight medical problems.