Comments on: Falling off the moral tightrope

By: BongV

BongV — Wed, 20 May 2009 18:59:47 +0000

Machiavelli’s framework for analysis and exercise of political power is like a scalpel.

In the hands of a homicidal maniac, the scalpel will take lives.

In the hands of a surgeon, the scalpel will save lives.

In the hands of the gunggong, the scalpel will slice chicken wings.

By: BongV

BongV — Wed, 20 May 2009 18:59:28 +0000

Machiavelli’s framework for analysis and exercise of political power is like a scalpel.

In the hands of a homicidal maniac, the scalpel will take lives.

In the hands of a surgeon, the scalpel will save slides.

In the hands of the gunggong, the scalpel will slice chicken wings.

By: Bert

Bert — Wed, 20 May 2009 18:05:03 +0000

I totally agree, Edward!

By: Edward

Edward — Wed, 20 May 2009 17:25:10 +0000

I like your blog post. I have always condemned Machiavelli’s Prince-iple that the ends always justifies the means. It is not outdated and I think it is the most used justification by people doing evil acts today. Would you lie or would you kill for a good purpose? That’s why the crusades happened and why wars still persist. They always believe that there is always a “greater good” when goodness itself has no heirarchy.

I think its better to stop doing a wrong, than compensating with a good. That’s why I don’t believe in ‘being saved by works’. It is a tool for politicians. GK, charity events, and the emerging ‘green revolution’, a good tool for political gain.

By: Renato Pacifico

Renato Pacifico — Tue, 19 May 2009 18:50:55 +0000

Tama si MELOTO!!! Flips would rather REAP WHAT THE DEVILS HAS SOWN in America!

America is where you can believe in anything from BongV’s cafeteria of religions, more than a thousand of them! America has no state-sponsored religion.

Left-behind Filipinos see America as evil. Yet really wanting to go to America. SOUR GRAPES!

Look what the Devils has given to Filipinos in America! SUCCESS!!!! Corollas, Civics, Repridyetor, Microwave, hamburgers!!!!!

The angels in the Flipside still dream of the above!

By: BongV

BongV — Tue, 19 May 2009 15:36:48 +0000

Tasio:

Not really. According to http://bookne.ws/book/0312263562/machiavelli-on-modern-leadership

Machiavelli On Modern Leadership by Michael Ledeen: Niccolo Machiavelli, one of the eminent minds of the Italian Renaissance, spent much of a long and active lifetime trying to determine and understand what exceptional qualities of human character– and what surrounding elements of fortune, luck, and timing– made great men great leaders successful in war and peace.

In perhaps the liveliest book on Machiavelli in years, Michael A. Ledeen measures contemporary movers and doers against the timeless standards established by the great Renaissance writer. Titans of statecraft (Margaret Thatcher, Francois Mitterrand, Pope John Paul II, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton); business and finance (Bill Gates); Wall Street and investing (Warren Buffett); the military (Colin Powell), and sports (Michael Jordan) are judged by Machiavelli’s precepts on leadership and the proper use of power.

The result is a wide-ranging and scintillating study that illuminates the thoughts of the Renaissance master and the actions of today’s truly towering figures as well as the character-challenged pretenders to greatness.

Here is an exceptional book on Machiavelli and his ultra-realistic exploration of human nature– then and now.

By: tasio

tasio — Tue, 19 May 2009 15:14:43 +0000

Nicolo Michiavelli who wrote “The Prince” is now outdated in our
age. His Theory was okay when news was not deciminated by internet,
CNN, Satelite Disc TV, Audio Books, Google Search Engines, etc…
Communist Ideology is still here. But, it is mutating into Capitalist
Communism.

Pope Kiril character in “Shoes of a Fisherman” parallel’s to the
life of Pope John Paul II of Poland. He came from a communist
country. He had to live with the communist rulers, while going on
with the business of the Church. He was a great man of faith.

By: UP n grad

UP n grad — Tue, 19 May 2009 12:45:30 +0000

Commander Parad gets killed and DJB and a few other Filipinos (plus Swiss and Italian citizens) will smile.

By: BongV

BongV — Tue, 19 May 2009 12:20:03 +0000

the CFC-GK rift seems to be one of politics – not one of “using devil’s money for good works.

GK has outgrown CFC.

CFC wants to assert leadership over GK.

GK leadership rejects CFC “intrusion” into GK.

CFC being a lay organization of the RC escalates the matter to the Bishop.

GK leadership severes umbilical cords from CFC, becomes more secular.

It is but one of the many ways that organizations evolve.

By: UP n grad

UP n grad — Tue, 19 May 2009 12:18:07 +0000

beware walking away from an opportunity lazily dismissing it with “…everyone says it can’t be done!”.