There is no avoiding war; it can only be postponed to the advantage of others.
From Niccolo Machiavelli
War is just when it is necessary; arms are permissible when there is no hope except in arms.
Where the willingness is great, the difficulties cannot be great.
One who deceives will always find those who allow themselves to be deceived.
Whosoever desires constant success must change his conduct with the times.
Since it is difficult to join them together, it is safer to be feared than to be loved when one of the two must be lacking.
When you disarm the people, you commence to offend them and show that you distrust them either through cowardice or lack of confidence, and both of these opinions generate hatred.
Never was anything great achieved without danger.
Men should be either treated generously or destroyed, because they take revenge for slight injuries - for heavy ones they cannot.
Men ought either to be indulged or utterly destroyed, for if you merely offend them they take vengeance, but if you injure them greatly they are unable to retaliate, so that the injury done to a man ought to be such that vengeance cannot be feared.
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