Who lives in a house like this?

[The Good Reverend Roger]

I see. Thanks for teaching me something, Suu. Not sure why I was so hung up on the whole "this, or that" thing, considering how often I criticize such thinking in my own mind (obviously, not often enough).

That's a common problem, even among people who know better.  It's a trap...You train yourself to spot poor or spurious logic in the world around you, but not so much in yourself.

[Fujikoma]

This is true, Roger... I'm usually pretty tough on myself, compared to others (although, sometimes it takes a minute for that to kick in), but I still find myself slipping a lot.

Welp, my apologies, people. Not sure why I was going on like that. It really wasn't worth your time, though it was worth my time.

[Cain]

But considering who it was addressed to, and the state of Italy at the time, not to mention Machiavelli's background, it being written as a back-handed job application makes even more sense.

He hated the Medicis. It was known and noted.

In fact, many considered Machiavelli outlandish.

But yeah, the whole "being tortured by the Medicis" thing probably didn't endear him to them.  Also being "the most noted satirical playwright in Florence" in addition to his other talents, might have suggested a degree of caution was necessary when quoting his work.

But then again, politicial scientists and IR scholars never had much of a sense of history, as a rule.

[Fujikoma]

I tried to read one of those plays he wrote, "Mandragola" or something. Maybe it was good, and my taste is poor, but I thought it was just kind of, ugh. I need to go back and try to read it again someday.

Any other books on political theory, political science, or history you people (what does he mean by "you people"?) would recommend? I usually track down books based on the recommendations of friends or interesting strangers over the internet, it's worked rather ok so far.

[the last yatto]

I only hang out here to pick up chicks.