When another human has the authority to rule over other humans, it is easy for power to become imbalanced and for corruption to set in. In “The Prince”, Machiavelli defines what a ruler (prince) should be for his country, magistrate, and people. Some may see his views as bizarre, and unrealistic, and even though they are unrealistic in the real-world, his views would assist in the maintaining of power. A (prince) ruler has to be willing to make his own decisions that support the maintaining of his/her reign. Ultimately, Machiavelli’s argument is basically right because a ruler has to do whatever it takes to maintain power, unless it means he/she is putting themselves in a position where they will be hated by their own people.
According to Machiavelli,“You become hateful above all, as I have said, if you prey on the possessions and the women of your subjects”, which would damage the trust between leader and subject. (Machiavelli, 56). To add, many of the negative attributes associated with a leader who causes themselves to be hated are related to corruption, and behaviors that are seen within countries that lack structured or balanced government. Furthermore, the key to earning the respect and trust of people is through protecting their goods and honor (56). People want to maintain their dignity, so if a ruler takes that from them, it can lead to that ruler being hated. When people live in constant fear that their leader will steal from them or hurt them, then there is a risk for possible conspiracy. However, when a ruler has the support of the majority, and he/she is loved, then this offers a form of protection from the people (and other forces of government) supporting their rule, which would lead to the conspirators “. . . facing nothing but fear, mutual distrust, and the prospect of punishment, so they lose heart” (57). The support of the people is a strong force for a ruler. For this reason, Machavelli stresses the importance of a Prince “. . . [seeming] compassionate, trustworthy, sympathetic, honest, and religious” (55). Through appearing to exhibit these traits, people will feel more inclined to trust the government and the ruler, which assists the ruler in maintaining power.
Though controversial to mention, I believe America’s current presidency reflects what can possibly happen when a president is not seeming to maintain compassion, trust, sympathy, and honesty. As far as compassion, President Trump has not had a good reputation in this character aspect. His twitter page reflects his many contrasting behaviors. From his racist comments to his division of migrant families. As far as trust comes, many Americans struggle to maintain trust in our current political situation. This can be mirrored through the trust obstructed through the government shutdown, the claim that Mexico would fund the building of Trump’s wall, and when a president attempts to build a positive rapport with his people, which leads to him being supported by ethnically diverse populations, whose family members he then imposes policies against resulting in the destruction of their family foundation. To build upon this, a lack of sympathy has been offered towards families that have been broken in result of Trump’s crude policies, and mended by him telling the same people to “go back home”. Though some may argue that Trump is honest based off of his ability to carry out most of the things he said he would do in some form, he is dishonest in the way that he relays crucial information. For example, the recent Alabama weather situation where he dishonestly claims that “. . . the state was in the path of a deadly hurricane”; doubling, tripling, and quadrupling down on his error; defacing an official weather map with a Sharpie to prove [sic] his point; and tweeting absurdist videos mocking CNN’s attempts to correct him” (CJR). Many of Trump’s shortcomings has led to an obstruction of trust, and has even led some American’s to hate him. His behaviors have even led to other members of government to lose trust in him. In support of Machiavelli's argument, Trump has done what he needed to so to come this far in Presidency (to maintain power), whether it be through promises he has made and kept, or through some form of controversially malicious political corruption.
As can be seen, Machiavelli’s requirements of what a ruler should “seem” to be, and the consequences of coming short of the requirements (possible hate and distrust of the people) prove that he was right in the sense that a ruler has to seem to maintain the positive qualities of compassion, trust, sympathy, and honesty. Possessing these qualities lead to a positive fluidity in government, and within the public. People want to trust their ruler and maintain their dignity. A modern day example of the implications of these qualities being forsaken by a ruler can be seen through America’s current presidency. All in all, Machiavelli is right about the need for rulers to possess or at least seem to possess specific positive qualities, and ultimately what a ruler should avoid is being hated by his people and supporting forces. Avoiding hate will, in the end, aid the ruler in maintaining their power as a ruler.
Machiavelli Niccolò, and David Wootton. The Prince. Hackett Publishing Company, 1995.
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