Revolutionary Love & The Echo of Devotion: A Power From Below Critique of Machiavelli
Machiavelli may have had many solid points as a thinker, but what he lacks is the awareness to know that - fear fades when strength dies, love rooted in the people will echo through history.
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Paraphrased from Machiavellian principles:
“It’s safe to be feared than loved, if you can not be both. Love is beautiful but unstable, it depends on memories, emotions, promises - and people forget. They change, they turn against you the moment you stop pleasing them. Love demands consistency, fear demands presence. Because fear survives even when you’re not around. It protects your name even when you’re silent. It makes people think twice before crossing your boundaries. Love on the other hand grants freedom, and those who feel too free, challenge, question, and in the game of power, questioning topples empires. Don’t get me wrong, being loved is useful, but if you have to choose, choose fear. It maintains order, stabilizes the thrown, secures respect. Even if it’s forced, and in the end, forced respect is still respect.”
-Machiavelli, The Prince
As a man who enjoys philosophy, it should be no surprise that I study Machiavelli’s works. Of the many things Machiavelli speaks on, I’d argue a large part of it is true, but his position on power through terror, this argument of to be feared is better, is blatantly wrong and can be shown by history. Now, don’t get it twisted, much of this quote is still true, but not entirely.
What Machiavelli lacked as a European thinker is purely due to his European relation - because of course such a notion could stem from the Europeans whose history is based largely off this type of rulership. It is not that surprising given the time of Machiavelli, which was a time of Europe that was plagued by kingdoms in constant war with each other and always fearing losing control and rulership. I feel this has had a large impact on European way of viewing things, as a region whose political philosophy has largely centered on dominance, colonialism and political tyranny. Machiavelli was a man shaped by his European conditions of fragile feudal kingdoms, which has reflected in his works.
The answer to leadership or rule isn’t to be feared or to be loved, it’s to be both to the right side.
Revolutionary Love vs Power Through Terror:
While yes Machiavelli acknowledges the importance and usefulness of being loved, there is an inherent flaw with the “being feared” approach.
The answer to rulership is the balance of being loved and being feared, within the correct context. The loyalty of being loved by those you serve will transcend generation upon generation. To be feared alone, even by your command or populace, is only useful during your strength. The opportunity that you grow weak, or your order becomes unstable, the enemies abroad or the hungry for power within, will do away with you.
Have we learned nothing from the failure the “Great Man Theory”? How when an individual is upheld, as almost a deity, that once his weakness comes it shatters the illusions and thrusts a society into chaos? Regardless if the rule was one of love or especially one of terror.
Let’s look at past figures who maintained this balance properly. Stalin, Castro, Mao - these figures were loved by their chain of command and the lowest class they served, while feared by fascists, capitalists, slave owners, and other forces of reaction.
Even resistance movements like the Black Panthers, Bolsheviks, Cuban Resistance, and others are loved and looked towards by generations and communities they didn’t have direct influence over, even to this day - because love for and originating from the masses will always outlast terror and fear.
Meanwhile, others like Hitler, Franco, Pinochet and similar may have made most scared and submissive, it still could not hold back the overwhelming hate within that led many to overthrow them or attempt to. To rule through domination and control alone only opens a force of rage against you. Rule off terror alone, as history shows, is met in time with overwhelming resistance.
Fear without legitimacy and without love from the people becomes a countdown to rebellion and revolution.
And speaking on a global, geopolitical level, we are currently witnessing this with the West vs the East:
“It must be remembered that the West live at the expense of the East; the imperialist powers of Europe grow rich chiefly at the expense of the eastern colonies but at the same time they are arming their colonies and teaching them to fight, and by so doing the West is digging its own grave in the East.”
-Interview with K. Fusse, Vladimir Lenin
The truth that we see in history, is fear erodes once strength fades. To rule with longevity and immortal loyalty is through love for your people, to be a representative of the people, from the people. And an oppressor of oppressors, a shield and sword against that which seeks to dominate and slaughter.
There is a reason figures like Stalin, Castro, Mao and others still have loyal followers to this day even among the generations and communities of people they never ruled over. Same can be said for the best of mankind, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), who even his enemies spoke kindly at times of him. A man, a Prophet, whose governance was centered on mercy & compassion (rahmah), a man who not only is the most beloved across the world, but the faith of Islam that he was the Prophet of spreading, has spread to over 2 billion people who identify as Muslims. Revolutionary love, a love from the people and in the people, will echo history for centuries. You can not destroy it.
Machiavelli approaches rulership from an insufficient background and understanding. Love must be foundational, and fear must only serve as protection of the just.
Love builds legacies, protection of the people makes tyrants fear stepping out of line. To shield the oppressed and haunt the oppressors - that is the true shape of leadership.
In conclusion; This notion of Machiavelli’s fear over love must be discarded, and adoption of strategic and genuine tenderness with loyal ferocity, and an embodiment of the servitude to the oppressed against the oppressors, is the only necessary and correct path of leadership.
The truth of true leadership is love for the people, with service to the people, coming from the people, and protection of them against oppressors and turncoats. To oppose any form of deification, or great man theory, and act as a role model to those who will lead after you and to inspire those of other lands in revolutionary leadership. To be loved and feared in its correct context. Any other form of rule that doesn’t embody this, will always fall from its own opposition created by its brutality or it’s limitations.
Immortal loyalty isn’t demanded, it’s earned through devotion.
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