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April 9, 2013

"Le vin est tiré: il faut le boire."

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"Hence it is to be remarked that, in seizing a state,
the usurper ought to examine closely into all those injuries which it is necessary for him to inflict, and to do them all at one stroke so as not to have to repeat them daily; and thus by not unsettling men he will be able to reassure them, and win them to himself by benefits. He who does otherwise, either from timidity or evil advice, is always compelled to keep the knife in his hand; neither can he rely on his subjects, nor can they attach themselves to him, owing to their continued and repeated wrongs. For injuries ought to be done all at one time, so that, being tasted less, they offend less; benefits ought to be given little by little, so that the flavour of them may last longer." -- Machiavelli, The Prince

"Le vin est tiré: il faut le boire." ["When the wine is drawn, we must drink. "]
Once you embark on a plan for the transformation of a society you must carry it through no matter at what cost: to fumble, to retreat, to be overcome by scruples is to betray your chosen cause. To be a physician is to be a professional, ready to burn, to cauterize, to amputate; if that is what the disease requires, then to stop halfway because of personal qualms, or some rule unrelated to your art and its technique, is a sign of muddle and weakness, and will always give you the worst of both worlds. And there are at least two worlds: each of them has much, indeed everything, to be said for it; but they are two and not one. One must learn to choose between them and, having chosen, not look back." -- Isiah Berlin: The Question of Machiavelli - The New York Review of Books

Posted by Vanderleun at April 9, 2013 2:33 PM. This is an entry on the sideblog of American Digest: Check it out.

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