Machiavellianism

Machiavellianism also called (Political) Opportunism or Realism is a type of politics which primarily focuses on acquiring and maintaining political power from a "selfish" standpoint. In a way Machiavellianism can be said to be an ideology focused entirely on the political concept of praxis.

It is important to note to two things: Firstly that Machiavellianism is not as much the strict beliefs of Niccolo Machiavelli, but rather the recognition of the realities Machiavelli acknowledged; and secondly that Machiavellianism can be found in any and all socio-political systems, be it feudal  monarchy,  democratic  republicanism,  corporate  capitalism, a  marxist-leninist  one-party state and even  anarchism etc.

History
Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli more well known as just Niccolo Machiavelli was a Florentian diplomat as well as a writer and a philosopher.

Foundations
Machiavellians are not consistent ideologically. They seek to achieve a selfish goal and get the necessary power to do it.

[[File:Libhawk.png]] George F. Kennan Doctrine
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[[File:HenryKissinger.png]] Kissingerism
Henry Kissinger is a German-born American politician, diplomat, and geopolitical consultant who served as United States Secretary of State and National Security Advisor under the presidential administrations of Richard Nixon and  Gerald Ford (1969-1974, 1974-1977). A Jewish refugee who fled  Nazi Germany with his family in 1938 to  the US where he was drafted into the US army in 1943. Kissinger was assigned to the military intelligence sector of the 84th Infantry Division and came to see combat in the division as the US-allied forces advanced into Germany, the country he and his family had fled from. Kissinger was eventually reassigned to the Counter Intelligence Corps (CIC), where he became a CIC Special Agent assigned to tracking down Gestapo officers and other saboteurs, for which he was awarded the Bronze Star. After his service in the US army in WWII, Kissinger would come to play an important role in shaping US foreign policy during the Cold War.

Henry Kissinger played an important role in ending US involvement in the Vietnam War. Kissinger was very skeptical of US involvement in the war as it seemed near impossible to find an agreement that would suit both the Communists of North Vietnam and the US-backed government of  South Vietnam.

When he came into office as National Security Advisor under President Richard Nixon in 1969, Kissinger favored a negotiating strategy under which the US and North Vietnam would sign an armistice and agree to pull their troops out of South Vietnam while the South Vietnamese government and  the Viet Cong were to agree to a coalition government. However, because of the conflict of interest between Nixon and Kissinger, and the North and South Vietnamese governments, US involvement in the Vietnam War would continue until the mid-1970s. Henry Kissinger along with Vietnamese communist revolutionary Lê Đức Thọ was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on December 10, 1973, for their work in negotiating the ceasefires contained in the Paris Peace Accords on "Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Vietnam." However, Thọ rejected the award as he argued that peace had not been achieved, and after the Fall of Saigon Kissinger attempted the return his award as well.

Henry Kissinger is perhaps most known for his contributions to US-China Relations which helped the People's Republic of China's current rise as a superpower. The motive for the diplomatic outreach to communist China had its ground in the Sino-Soviet Split that happened in the 1950s-1960s because of ideological differences between Mao Zedong and   Khrushchev. The US government under Nixon sought to exploit this rift between the two largest communist countries to advance its own geopolitical agenda.

Kissinger made two trips to China in July and October 1971 (the first of which was made in secret) to confer with Premier Zhou Enlai, which resulted in the withdrawal of US troops from Taiwan, and the recognition of the PRC on the UN Security Council at expense of  the Republic of China's representation at the UN. His trips paved the way for the groundbreaking 1972 summit between Nixon, Zhou, and Mao, as well as the formalization of relations between the two countries, ending over two decades of diplomatic isolation and mutual hostility.

Henry Kissinger has continued to act as a mediator between the US and China to this day. He was one of the few prominent US politicians who opposed imposing sanctions on China in the wake of the Tiananmen Massacre of 1989.

Henry Kissinger is infamous for his support for anti-communist dictatorships to stop the spread of communism. As National Security Advisor under Nixon, he supported Pakistani dictator, General Yahya Khan, in the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971. Kissinger actively participated in the  CIA's destabilization and sabotage of Chilean Socialist Party member  Salvador Allende's presidential campaign and presidency through various coup attempts, elections interference, and sanctions that would result in the 1973 Chilean coup d'état and General  Augusto Pinochet's rise to power.

As Secretary of the State under President Gerald Ford, he supported the Argentine Military dictator Jorge Rafael Videla's Dirty War against left-wing opposition and backed Indonesian dictator and President  Suharto's invasion of East Timor and its subsequent genocide. Kissinger was also actively involved in negotiations regarding the Rhodesian Bush War. Kissinger, along with South Africa's Prime Minister B.J. Vorster, pressured Rhodesian Prime Minister  Ian Smith to hasten the transition to black majority rule in  Rhodesia.

Interestingly, Henry Kissinger unlike most modern-era military interventionists and neocons such as John McCain, Anthony Blinken, Samantha Power, etc have remained on friendly terms with Russian President Vladimir Putin. During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Kissinger went so far as to suggest that Ukraine should give up territory to  Russia to end the war.

[[File:ZhouEnlai.png]] Zhou Enlai Thought
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Personality
Machiavellianism is very much... Machiavellian in his behavior. Generally very manipulative in such.

He is known for speaking to crowds in masks of whatever ideological rhetoric he is using to get into power.

How to Draw
Machiavellianism's design is based on the Machiavelli Coat of Arms.


 * 1) Draw a ball with eyes.
 * 2) In Blue Draw a Cross on the ball.
 * 3) Draw 4 needles pointing at the center of the cross.

And you're done!

REALISM GANG

 * [[File:Oligarchy.png]] Oligarchy - Nobody rules alone.
 * [[File:PolState.png]] Police Statism - Key of power.
 * [[File:Strato.png]] Stratocracy - Another key of power, which is actually more important than the previous one.
 * [[File:Mediastocracy flair.png]] Mediacracy - Good for keeping power.
 * [[File:Bism.png]] Bismarckism - It's been a while, my old friend. Shame your Kaiser let his juvenile ambition ruin what you had achieved.
 * [[File:Kemal.png]] Kemalism - "If we write doctrine, we freeze and stay where we are."
 * [[File:Progconf.png]] Progressive Conservatism & [[File:Radcent.png]] Radical Centrism - I like how you counteract those annoying ideologues.
 * [[File:Dengf.png]] Dengism - It does not matter whether the cat is black or white, as long as it catches mice. Shame Xi became dogmatically culturally conservative.
 * [[File:Avar.png]] State of Nature - In the war of all against all, the most cunning wins. Also, you are only one real anarchic variant.

Masks

 * [[File:Monarch.png]] Monarchism & [[File:Republicanismpix.png]] Republicanism - Depending on the situation, as long as you work for and benefit me, you'll be fine. But Machiavelli liked the latter more.
 * [[File:Kak.png]] Kakistocracy - Sometimes it can be useful to destroy my opponent's image, otherwise just an idiot with nothing to worry about.
 * [[File:Pop.png]] Populism - A broad-front appeal is a good way to get into power. I don't have to live up to my promises, though.
 * [[File: 3way.png]] Third Way [[File:Third_Way_-_alt.png]] - Theory should appeal to all sides of the population, for the west you are perfect today.

Semi-realist frenemies

 * [[File:Mao.png]] Maoism - Love your way of diplomacy, but your internal policy was pathetic idealism. At least [[File:Dengf.png]] your son fixed your internal policy mistakes. Zhou Enlai was however, mega-based and created the path for your son to take over China.
 * [[File:Necon.png]] Neoconservatism - Some of you (especially [[File:HenryKissinger.png]] Kissinger) were pragmatists, but you have a cringe utopian goal of "world capitalist revolution".
 * [[File:Klep.png]] Kleptocracy - While I did say a prince should know how to do evil, the premise is "As far as he can, a prince should follow the path of good".
 * [[File:Arist.png]] Aristocracy - Your problem, my "good" prince, is exactly the opposite of the former one.
 * [[File:Putin.png]] Putinism - You were way more based in the past when you attempted good relations with the west. Sadly, your war in Ukraine ruined everything.

ANTI-REALIST FREAKS

 * [[File:Honk.png]] Satirism - STOP MOCKING ME!
 * [[File:Antcomp.png]] Anti-Realism - Psycho who wants to light me on fire.
 * [[File:OchloAngry.png]] Ochlocracy - "For the mob is always impressed by appearances and by results, and the world is composed of the mob."
 * [[File:Ingsocf.png]] Ingsoc - The only thing worse than a utopian mentality is a dystopian one.
 * [[File:Anego.png]] Anarcho-Egoism - We have a lot in common actually. Morality and dogma do more harm than good, but citizens of the state are not required to reject it, only the leadership.
 * [[File:LeftCom.png]] Left Communism - This is pure dogma and no praxis at all.
 * [[file:MLM.png]] Marxism-Leninism-Maoism, [[File:Mao3word.png]] Maoism–Third Worldism & [[File:Polpot.png]] Pol Potism - Maoism has just lost all redeeming qualities and jumped into the cliff of pure idealism.
 * [[File: Hoxha.png]] Hoxhaism - Another dogmatic ML who called anyone even slightly to the right of him a 'revisionist'.
 * [[File:Trot.png]] Trotskyism - Permanent Worldwide Revolution sounds like a dogmatic nightmare that luckily won't ever come true.
 * [[File:Theocrat.png]] Theocrats - Stop forcing your dogma on everyone.
 * [[File:StateathFedora.png]] State Atheism - You too buddy. You're literally just trying to fight dogma with dogma.
 * [[File:Annil.png]] Anarcho-Nihilism - While you understand that idealism should not be relied on, you chose to be a lazy doomer instead of a schemer like me.
 * [[File:Neolud.png]] Neoluddism - Why won't you work for me? I can help with your extreme environmental concerns by dealing with industrialists to eventually curb all harm to animals and to the environment. But no! You keep using your dogma to kill others just because they support development! You should be ashamed of yourself!
 * [[File:Soul.png]] Soulism - Quit your weed-induced ideology of pure idealism and come back to reality for once.
 * [[File:NevilleChamberlain.png]] Chamberlainism - I repeat what I have already said, namely that you should never let yourself be driven off-course by your desire to avoid a war because in such a case you won’t avoid it but will merely postpone it to your disadvantage.

Literature

 * The Prince by [[File:Niccolo_Machiavelli.png]] Niccolo Machiavelli
 * The Dictators Handbook: Why Bad Behaviour is Almost Always Good Politics by Bruce Bueno de Mesquita
 * The Machiavellians: Defenders of Freedom by [[File:Necon.png]] James Burnham
 * Machiavelli and Us by [[File:StructMarx.png]] Louis Althusser
 * Three Turning Points in Political Thought 2: Machiavelli by [[File:CountEn.png]] Isaiah Berlin
 * The 48 Laws of Power by [[File:PragmatLib.png]] Robert Green

Wikipedia

 * Machiavellianism (Politics)
 * Realism (International Relations)
 * Machiavellian Intelligence
 * Political Opportunism
 * Realpolitik
 * Machiavellianism (Psychology)
 * Machiavellianism in the Workplace

Videos

 * What “Machiavellian” really means - Pazit Cahlon and Alex Gendler by Ted-Ed
 * POLITICAL THEORY - Niccolò Machiavelli by The School of Life
 * The Rules for Rulers by [[File:Transh.png]] CGP Grey
 * Death & Dynasties by [[File:Transh.png]] CGP Grey
 * The Fox of Florence | The Life & Times of Machiavelli (ft. Blue from OSP) by Jack Rackam
 * Politics Isn't About Right or Wrong; It's About Winning by [[File:Antcent.png]] Jreg
 * A Critique of Realism by [[File:RightSocDem.png]] Kraut

Online Communities

 * r/The48LawsOfPower
 * r/Machiavellianism