Concerning The Way To Govern Or Bush Realpolitik THE PRINCE by Nicolo Machiavelli Written c. 1505 Translated by W. K. Marriott WHENEVER those states which have been acquired as stated have been accustomed to live under their own laws and in freedom, there are three courses for those who wish to hold them: the first is to ruin them, the next is to reside there in person, the third is to permit them to live under their own laws, drawing a tribute (payment for protection), and establishing within it an oligarchy (small government) which will keep it friendly to you. Because such a government, being created by the prince, knows that it cannot stand without his friendship and interest, and does its utmost to support him; and therefore he who would keep a city accustomed to freedom will hold it more easily by the means of its own citizens than in any other way. And he who becomes master of a city accustomed to freedom and does not destroy it, may expect to be destroyed by it, for in rebellion it has always the watch-word of liberty and its ancient privileges as a rallying point, which neither time nor benefits will ever cause it to forget. And what ever you may do or provide against, they never forget that name or their privileges unless they are disunited or dispersed but at every chance they immediately rally to them... It certainly appears that someone in the Bush-lite cabinet has already read Machiavelli and is handling Iraq, literally, by the THE PRINCE. The "ruining them" part was started in 1991 by the Stuttering Father King himself, George the First, and not by the White House Idiot Wunderkind currently warming the throne.