Machiavelli: The Art of Holding on to Power

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Born in the 16th century, Machiavelli got the notoriety of giving autocrats the wherewithals how to hold on to power with reason "in reality", not with reason "in morality". In his book, "The Prince", Machiavelli gave us the inkling that it is better to have a monarch, an autocrat, rather than a "republican", who practiced democracy. Note that Italy was ruled by tiny republics, waging war against each other in the 16th century. Machiavelli envisioned an Italy which is united and powerful, rallying around a prince who is a monarch, an "ideal" ruler. Nowadays, autocrats like Russia's Vlad, China's Xi, and North Korea's Kim are finding a convincing kindred spirit in this Italian political genius. What matters is how to win, no matter what means, so Machiavelli. The means justifies the end, he insisted. This reminds me of the musical group Abba when they sing "The Winner Takes it All". I wonder what many of us Mylotters think about this: How many percent are you Machiavellian in your political preference?