The Prince’s War on Drugs

Editor's Note: This post is really weird. My politics teacher had asked me to write a letter as one historical political guy and respond the letter of another historical dude. These letters were supposed to address a modern day problem. My letters addressed the War on Drugs. Here Machiavelli, mocks Sir Thomas Moore solutions to the War on Drugs. Iam supposed to mimic their frame of mind. This is an exercise that helps you understand the minds of those classical political writers. It is also an interesting literary exercise. I think my essay was written rather well. I am so, 5 stars worthy.  


 

The Prince’s War on Drugs

                To Estimated Friend Sir Thomas Moore,

I find your little fiction quite fictional indeed. It does not surprise me that you would try to solve a modern problem with abstracted nonsense. Truly, not only I, but the whole world is aware that there is no such thing as you Utopia or your mail correspondent Raphael Nonsense. I suppose that, in the end all, you will always be a political fiction writer and nothing more, Mr. Moore. Alas, it is best to approach this problem with drugs with real modern life solutions. 

                For starters, the treatment of the providers for the addicts is far too lenient.  Indeed, the President should “be prudent enough to know how to escape the infamy of those vices that would take the state away from him” (Machiavelli, Pg 54). Truly, he must pay keen attention to these forces that disseminated dissension and distress within his principality. I am not asking for a mass search and destroy of every addict and low life seller that exist within the American principality. The President “… need not concern himself unduly if he ignores these less serious vices.” (Machiavelli, Pg 54). He should not feel hesitant to use extreme force against internal providers that bring dissension to his principality.

                In order to handle internal suppliers it is best for the President to send “a cruel and unscrupulous man” like “Messer Remirro de Orco” (Machiavelli, Pg 27) to handle the heads of the internal drug mafia. The President should not feel uneasy about taking such a measure because “it is easy to convince” the population about harmful effects of drug trafficking “but difficult to hold them in that conviction.” (Machiavelli, Pg 21). For that reason, a modern day De Orco is necessary.  

                Afterwards, the President should give this ruthless minister full authority over that hostile territory, like de Orco.  In short amount of time I am certain that he will “reduced the territory to “a peaceful and united state, and in so doing…” the President will “greatly increased his prestige” (Machiavelli, Pg 27). However, the President should take measures to avoid the hatred of those he has brought into submission. Thus, he should send out a statement claiming “if any form of cruelty had occurred, it did not originate from him but from the violent nature of his minister.” (Machiavelli, Pg 27). In doing so, he will divert the populations’ hatred from himself to his minister.

                As for his execution, it would be preferred that his minister’s “body laid out in two pieces on” Lincoln Memorial “with a block of wood and a bloody sword beside it.” (Machiavelli, Pg 27). It is a pity that such medieval spectacles are no longer in usage. Nay, if it cannot be helped, then let that ruthless minister get the lighting chair. Let that solemn hour be seen in all the magic boxes of President Barak Obama’s principality.  “The ferocity of such a spectacle” will leave the “population satisfied and stupefied at the same time.” (Machiavelli, Pg 27)  I am certain that after such a spectacle no one will dare to sell opiates in the United Principalities of America. 

                The foreign providers must be handled with a different sort of necessary cruelty. In order to facilitate future necessary cruelties, this principality should avoid by all means taking auxiliary forces from countries like Russia, China, or the European Union. These foreign allies that are stronger than or as strong as the US Principality would “disturb the political balance” (Machiavelli, Pg 25). It is best for the American Principality to be the sole ally in that foreign nation’s war on drugs. By being the sole powerful auxiliary, the foreign nation would be compelled to follow this Principalities method more readily.

                As for the foreign providers, they should be killed and not be shown any mercy. They should not offer “monetary rewards” for traitors that offer their leaders in exchange for recompense (The Prince part 2 Notes). Rather, only offer then life instead of death for their cooperation. After, the head drug Princes are brought into submission, it would be adviced to have then killed in a similar De Orco fashion. However, the US Principality should leave the survivor’s property and women unharmed. Men generally are more “avoiders of danger, and greedy” (Machiavelli, Pg 58). By having just the main heads of the drug Principalities beheaded the American Principality will foster fear instead of hatred. Thus, the new subdued principality will be “… hesitant about injuring” a President and his Principality “who makes… himself feared.” (Machiavelli, Pg 58).

                As you can see Sir Thomas Moore, virtu is the only thing that can win the war on drug. Your ideas about virtue and Utopia are unrealistic and cannot bring peace upon the US principality. If you bride the drug lords you will only give them means to continue their knavery. For men, after all, are “ungrateful, fickle, simulators and deceivers, avoiders of danger, and greedy for gain” (Machiavelli, Pg 58). One cannot trust them to pursue the common good without fear keeping their temper in check. I truly hope my letter will enlighten you about the true nature or men and how to keep it restrained.

Sincerely yours,

Niccolo Machiavelli

Work cited Page

Machiavelli, Niccolo The Prince Oxford University Press. 2005

Class Notes The Prince Part 2 - Shrewdness of mind: Be a cheap Bastard