Title Explained

My name is Jacob. I am a lawyer with a background in international politics, philosophy, history, and national security. In my years in school and also on vacation, I have watched too much news but also read a lot of books from various sources and have learned a lot about this world. Being of such a young and tender age, I endeavor to learn as much from history as possible since I myself have experienced so little.

Throughout my education, several famous philosophers have become very influential. The first and most relevant to this blog is Niccolo Machiavelli. Today his ideas are misinterpreted, his name has been associated with evil and ambition but that ignores the real lessons in his writings. Machiavelli favored a republican government, freedom of speech, rule of law, and strong defense. He is most remembered for his question posed by a hypothetical prince, "is it better to be loved or feared?".

But that one anecdote missed the rest. Machiavelli shared many of the same ideals as John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and others. A popular government is preferable over a prince. A well-ordered state with a respect for the rule of law will be a prosperous state. A leader must not overly tax the people nor be overly liberal in handing out benefits. The law should be administered in full view of the public. And finally, a leader should seek the faith of the people and not the aristocracy.

Having princples and ideas are nice and all but opponents will always stand in your way. There are those who seek power, control, and benefits for themselves and their allies. They care little for principle, only political power. There are some who have opposing principles and stand in opposition on grounded beliefs. To bring about change against such opponents with great political skills, you need to be cunning in these skills as well, as cunning as a Fox. There is a reason why the smartest and most effective people are NOT politicians. If only we were so lucky.

Machiavelli also recognize the importance of individual and collective strength, as did our Founding Fathers. Washington himself stated that to secure peace one must be prepared for war. Deterrence is a powerful influence on potential enemies and usurpers. As the global superpower we have enemies and potential rivals. Show humility and you show weakness. Show neutrality and you arouse suspicion. Show strength, and others will be hesitant and cautious. Cunning can allow you to outmaneuver their traps but does not deter them from resorting to blunt force. You need the strength of a Lion.

And with that you see the important two elements in Machiavelli's political philosophy: the cunning of the Fox, and the Strength of the Lion. To be successful, you need both. A lion can be ensnared in clever traps. A fox is vulnerable to large predators. In cooperation, they are most effective. Even better than a shark riding the back of an elephant (Jack Handey).

Machiavelli was a realist, and so were many of my other favorite philosophers and writers: Lao Tzu, Sun Tzu, Han Fei Tzu, Edward Carr, Hans Morgenthau, and others. You don't need to know who any of these people are, I justed wanted to name-drop and sound smart. A realist is concerned with what is, not what ought to be. A realist does not concern himself with rhetoric, norms, or artifical restraints, he understands that the world is filled with states seeking security and prosperity. They gain these through the pursuit of power. Nice eloquent words will never dissuade them otherwise.

Today, Machiavelli would likely be a shrewd conservative. And oddly enough so am I. I believe in limited government, the free market, and individual freedom. At this point, I see neither party fulfilling these ideals. I am not a partisan, I don't care much for political parties in general. Anything that seeks its own independent empowerment and survival is not likely to care much for the good of the people. Therefore, the empowerment and survival of the party must somehow be DIRECTLY linked to the good of the people. We must punish the party that fails and reward the party that succeeds. In some cases we need to encourage and support factions within a party to the detriment of another faction within the same party. As the people and voters, we need to be shrewd, realistic, and prepared to move against the political class when necessary. This does not mean violent revolution, but the simple act of voting those unfit out and finding individuals of virtue and ability. The responsibility is on us. Cynicism gets you nowhere, so simply not voting does not voice your discontent to anyone. It just makes you lazy and irrelevant to the political class. It is one sure way a republic can fall.

American Conservatives believe that the government that is best is one that is closest to the people, that government causes far more problem than it solves, that all individuals have great potential and ability if given the opportunity to succeed, that the free market is the best generator of wealth, and that respect for the rule of law is essential. The Constitution should be interpreted based on its text and the intent of the framers, it is not some flexible or living document that can be bent to serve the fashionable trends of a certain period.

I am writing this blog to express my own thoughts and ideas on politics, international affairs, philosophy, religion, sports, and movies. Some are unique and novel, and others probably aren't. To warn you, I have a dry and sometimes dark sense of humor. I usually don't care who I offend with my jokes or statements. There is a difference between serious discussion and banter. I hope that you will keep that in mind before falling off your chair in a fit of anger at my words.

Of course this assumes anyone will bother reading this blog. Either way, I am going to write it because currently I am an unemployed law school graduate with plenty of time on my hands.