Machiavelli and War on Terror

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In both The Prince and The Discourses, Machiavelli presents very specific advice on how a ruler can maintain stability and control over his newly acquired state. Machiavelli lived in a time when a ruler could come to possess another kingdom through the simple act of war. Yet, in our modernity, a ruler cannot simply declare war and occupy a territory. He must also face repercussions from the other world powers that are in existence today. Our time has evolved and a ruler now has to take into consideration the opinions of other world powers along with the opinion of other global organizations such as NATO and the United Nations. In terms of the United States and their policies towards Afghanistan and Iraq, Machiavelli would disagree in the stance that the United States has taken towards the war on terror because the US has failed to create stability in spite of the time that the military forces have spent in these states. However, Machiavelli’s advice cannot be realistically taken into consideration because it is no longer applicable in our modernity. Therefore, the US has correctly chosen to not follow Machiavelli’s advice.

The US relationship between Afghanistan and Iraq has been a severely complicated one since its beginning. Although the U.S. and other western countries had originally supported the mujahideen movement in the 1980’s, the formation of Al-Qaeda and the search for jihads by its members eventually led to the declaration of a fatwa against the United States in 1998. After many terrorist attempts believed to be caused by Al-Qaeda, the conflict culminated with the attacks on the Twin Towers and pentagon on September 11, 2001. The attacks against the United States caused an international domino effect of support. Pr...

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Machiavelli, Niccolò, and David Wootton. Selected Political Writings. Indianapolis: Hackett Pub., 1994. Print.

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"Presidential Approval Ratings -- George W. Bush." Gallup.Com - Daily News, Polls, Public Opinion on Government, Politics, Economics, Management. Gallup, Inc., 04 Oct. 2011. Web. 04 Oct. 2011. .

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Staff. "Hans Blix: Allies Used 'poor' Intelligence Ahead of Iraq Invasion | UK News | Guardian.co.uk." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media Limited, 27 July 2010. Web. 04 Oct. 2011. .

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