Why Princes Have Built Fortresses

Nowadays, there are only a few countries were both parties are satisfied and live happily. In chapter 20 we find princes who have disarmed subjects who benefited their enemies, who divided their conquered territories, or who built or destroyed fortresses. Princes have never disarmed their subjects, they have always armed them and when he arms them, they are to become faithful to the prince. When a prince gets a new state, he must disarm its inhabitants and arm those who helped him acquire the state. Those princes who wish to acquire fame, fortune will put enemies and wars in their path so that they may have the opportunity of overcoming and thus acquiring fame. Princes have built fortresses in order to protect themselves, but these fortresses can be useful, sometimes they are not. A prince should build a fortress only when he is afraid of his subjects, not of strangers. The best fortress is not to be hated by the people. I think the word arms in this chapter could not only mean weapons, but also anything that the nobility could use--laws, power, influence, etc--that they can use against the people or the prince. Nothing brings a prince more reputation than great enterprises and proof of his capacity. Princes who can frankly said who their
It is the second presidential term ran by the “wannabe” socialist party and most the people they put in office are uneducated people who fought in the civil war. Our president is not, and does not look like the smartest guy out there, and the people he is surrounded by have done nothing good for the country. Machiavelli mentions that the “readiest conjecture we can form of the character and sagacity of a Prince, is from seeing what sort of men he has about him.” I think that if a prince has wise people working with him, he is either smart and chose them wisely, or he needs them to do the job for him, which is dangerous for the