Do you agree with Machiavelli that absolute power corrupts absolutely or not?
340075
generally yes unless living in a utopian society
973550
Your premise is flawed. Criticism & dissent (not hate, silly) are essential to keeping a democracy honest.
629142
Start a new country. But eventually, even that country will fall victim to the same thing. It's the nature of power. Did you ever hear the saying that power corrupts?
856503
Absolutely!\n\nAnd may I add, with uncontested power we get uncontroled arrogance.\n\nArrogance is what we've had until just recently, when the people spoke out!\n\nArrogance is like channel thinking...you only see things one way and nobody else can sway your thinking.  \n\nMore troops?  Better equiptment?  Not having invaded to begin with?  Getting world support first before invading?  Use of high tech to thwart would-be enemies before they even hatch out of their perverted mother's eggs?  \n\nWhat a burden one carries when they adopt arrogance as their attitude!\n\nAway with the old!  Usher in the new!\n\nOpen all doors like Pope John Paul told us!\n\nIn time, the enemy retreats never to show his ugly head again.\n\nTime cures all.  \n\nThankyou.
795116
I say run the table and impeach the entire administration! I for one am glad we have taken back congress, maybe now we can get something done around here!\n\n\nWe hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their CREATOR, with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed, that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its Foundation on such Principles, and organizing its Powers in such Form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate, that Governments long established, should not be changed for light and transient Causes; and accordingly all Experience hath shewn, that Mankind are more disposed to suffer, while Evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the Forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long Train of Abuses and Usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object, evinces a Design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their Right, it is their Duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future Security.
824970
We can have abundant power provided politician management is honest. With corrupt politicians you can never improve any thing. don't you know that the chief minister of Maharashtra suspended one electricity board engineer for cutting of his power supply for non payment of electrical bill?\nProbably that engineer will suffer for rest of his life time. \nI am very eager to hear from him or some one else as to what is his fate today?
708809
Over 200 years ago, the Scottish historian Alexander Tyler stated that democracies exist only until people realize that by capturing government they can enrich themselves. After that, though the form of democracy may endure, the substance will be lost.\n\nThoreau was an idealist, and like all others of his ilk, he failed to regard the negative consequences of his own propositions. How does the thought strike you that there is no contradiction between the all powerful, all controlling state, and what Thoreau says?\n\nHow does the proposition strike you that what people want (as expressed by the democratic process) is greater security from want, and greater fulfillment of desire? The growth of government power isn't some back-room conspiracy of a few power hungry maniacs -- it's the direct result of politicians giving the people what they're crying out for -- MORE!!!!\n\n[EDITORIAL NOTE: If this concept doesn't quite make sense; please refer to Dostoevsky. His section from "The Brothers Karamatzov," entitled, "The Parable of the Grand Inquisitor" deftly lays out the chilling argument that people want to get rid of the burden of freedom as quickly as they can].\n \n\nIt is simply the nature of power that any government big enough to give you what you want, of necessity, must also be a government big enough to take from you everything that you have.\n\nIf you really want "limited government" you can have it. But you can only have it if you are prepared to accept total responsibility for every outcome in your life, and not ask for government assistance when things go wrong. And the incontrovertable fact is, the people have rejected this notion. The "power and authority of the individuals" as expressed at the ballot-box has spoken over the decades, and the politicians have simply listened, and given the people what they want.\n\nWhat Thoreau is naively assuming is that people actually want government off of their backs, and are willing to assume the full burdens of their existences. He's wrong. People want the freedom to do as they please; but when things go badly, they want (and indeed, expect) the government to step in to make things right. This duality of desires inevitably leads to decadence and a diminution of the human spirit. This is EXACTLY what the great prophet, Aldous Huxley tried to warn us about in his masterpiece, "Brave New World;" and people still don't get the message. "The People" want to be taken care of; and out of respect for the "Will of the People," the government is increasingly giving the people what they want. But what the people want is ultimately destructive of the very spirit of freedom the people claim they wish to protect. \n\nThe journalist H. L. Mencken once said that Democracy is the theory that "The common man knows what he wants, and deserves to get it -- good and hard." He's right.
1033506
Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely!\nI think that sums it up in (in a nut shell) in this case at least.\nHe was a Christian by the way!!
827503
1. Nicolo Machiavelli was a misogynist proto-feminist (apparently)\nhttp://homepage.mac.com/gabyraymond/machiavelli.html\n\n2. His most notoriously mysogynistic quote comes from "The Prince, Chapter XXV What fortune can effect in human affairs and how to withstand her." Here it is .....\n"For my part I consider that it is better to be adventurous than cautious, because fortune is a woman, and if you wish to keep her under it is necessary to beat and ill-use her; and it is seen that she allows herself to be mastered by the adventurous rather than by those who go to work more coldly. She is, therefore, always, woman-like, a lover of young men, because they are less cautious, more violent, and with more audacity command her."\nhttp://historymedren.about.com/library/text/bltxtprince25.htm
592405
No one has power solely by their own hand.God allows some to have power but in an earth sense some although are confidants of the dark one and achieve power through wasting their years away pondering on how to become more powerful.This also is true with the rich they are never content with what they have they must always maintain a step ahead of what was once thought to be suitable in their gain.The fact is power is only obtain by to ways on this earth God or satan.I desire neither because as one answered there is great responsiblity attached to it.
166981
Definite NO! If that were to happen, then freewill would be forfeited to that power. If one disagrees with that power, it could mean death for that person.\n\nThis is going to happen though, in the not-too-distant future. America is that Superpower. You've already witnessed what happened in Afghanistan, Iraq, etc. Soon America's going to just overrule the UN Security council & do what she pleases with the world. I say overrule in the assumption that 1 or 2 countries may disagree with this but most of them will agree with being ruled by America.
1037913
Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.  If the government is open to public criticism, political excesses can be brought forward and used to generate outrage among the voting populace to either get them removed from office or shine the light of truth upon those performing unsavory acts, hopefully shaming them into stopping or changing.
167969
I believe there is an Absolute Truth for certain things, the question however is can we discover it? As far as "Absolute Morality" then there are too many ways to look at it.
529195
I think that somone who is willing to vote not base on what he thinks is right is an inherently corrupt person. We live in a republic wich means that we elect leaders to vote and make descisions. If we wanted every descision to be based on popular opinion then we would live in a democracy.
1037478
Wealth and power corrupt all over time.
126245
Yes it most certainly is.  Misconduct can be deemed as a person misusing their power and authority or behaving poorly; Corruption is worse because the decisions involved with corruption often lead to extreme gain for one person or organization over the expense of the larger body.
382046
Machievelli made that quote famous. People would like to think that it does, thus when Robin Hood robbed to give to the poor, his actions justified itself because of the good it did, especially considering that he was robbing from the rich, and the Sherrif of Nottingham's riches were ill-gotten anyhow.\n\nWe can conider another case. Say there is a person who is terminally ill and only has a month to live, and there are 6 people who need urgent organ transplants. Is it justified to kill the terminally ill man without his consent in order to harvest his organs to save the 6 people? Most would argue that it wouldn't.\n\nI think it is very tempting to argue that the ends do justify the means, but it is a very dangerous philosophy to follow, and it is best to live in accordance with the law.