The need for continuous negotiation in diplomacy.

In light of the current political debate over proper diplomatic technique I have provided for you the answer to this question in the form of excerpts taken from one of the most successful political advisers in all of political history, that of Armand Jean du Plessis de Richelieu, Cardinal-Duc de Richelieu , adviser to Louis the XIII.

Chapter 6, the need for continuous negotiations in diplomacy.
States receive so much benefit from uninterrupted negotiations, if they are conducted with prudence, that it is unbelievable unless it is known from experience. I am now so convinced of its validity that I dare say emphatically that it is absolutely necessary to the well-being of the state to negotiate ceaselessly, either in open or secretly, and in all places, even in those from which no present fruits are reaped and still more in those for which no future prospects as yet seem likely.

He who negotiates continuously will finally find the right instant to attain his ends, and even if this does not come about, at least it can be said he has lost nothing while keeping abreast of events in the world, which is not of little consequence in the lives of states.

Negotiations are innocuous remedies which never do harm.

Common sense teaches us that is is necessary to watch our neighbors closely, because their proximity gives them the chance to be bothersome. But it also puts them in the position of serving as the outposts preventing the close approach to our walls. Omit nothing which can fortify them thoroughly against any eventualities.

I should point out… different nations have different characters, some quickly carry out what they have in mind, while others walk with feet of lead. Republics are in this latter category. They proceed slowly and one ordinarily does not get from them at the first attempt what is sought. Rather it is necessary to be content with little in hope of getting more later. For this reason it is wise to negotiate painstakingly with them in order to give them time, and to press them only when they are ready for it.

It should be noted that while strong and convincing reasons are proper for presentation to men of power and genius, mediocre minds are more influenced by small points, since these are on the level of their comprehension.

There are some so presumptuous as to think they should bluster on all occasions, believing this to be a good way to obtain what they could never acquire by reasonable persuasion and that which they know they could never get by force. They think they have dealt a blow when all they have done is to threaten to do it. Such a stratagem never succeeds with honorable men.

Just as ignoramuses are not good negotiators, so there are certain minds so finely drawn and delicately organized as to be even less well suited, since they become overly subtle about everything.

The most successful use their keenness of mind to prevent themselves from being deceived, having care not to use the same means for deceiving those with whom they are negotiating. one is always suspicious of those who employ cunning.

Important negotiations should never be interrupted for a moment. It is necessary to pursue what one has undertaken with an endless program of action so ordered that one never ceases to act intelligently and resourcefully, becoming neither indifferent, vacillating, nor irresolute…. also necessary is not to be discouraged by a bad turn of events, since it sometimes happens that the wisest undertakings produce unhappy results. It is difficult to fight often and always win. It is ideal when negotiations are so harmless that one can acquire great advantages from them without ever suffering misfortune… even if it does no other good on some occasions than gain time, which often is the sole outcome, its employment would be commendable and useful to states, since it frequently takes only an instant to divert a storm.

It is true, that I would never advise a great prince to embark voluntarily on the founding of a league designed for some difficult objective unless he is strong enough to carry it out alone should his allies decide to desert him. Two reasons lead me to this conclusion. The first is based on the weakness of unions, which are never too secure when headed by several sovereigns. The other consists in the fact that lesser princes are often as careful and diligent in involving great kings in important commitments as they are feeble in aiding them, although they are fully obligated to do so. Although it is a common saying that he who is strong is ordinarily right, it is at the same time true that when two unequal powers are joined by a treaty, the greater courts the risk of being abandoned by the lesser.

Really?

Beginning the latest installment of ‘Really?” we have a quote illuminating the fact that Octopi instinctively intend to preserve Korean art history: “… it meant for us to discover the artefacts.”

Next, more justification for dropping the A-bomb… and by that I do mean mushroom cloud

Another story suggests that Oscar the cat predicts death in a nursing home. I propose that the cat is more likely to be the grim reaper.

Next, diesel fumes contribute to high cholesterol. And all this time I assumed truckers were unhealthy due to junk food and lack of exercise!

Last but not least are some facts I’ve compiled about the scourge that is corn syrup. A new study shows that one soda per day accounts for an 80% greater chance of developing type 2 diabetes. Americans, per capita, consume 3.5x as much corn products as do Brazilians. Corn is the main food that farmers use to fatten up livestock. Not surprisingly it is the main cause of the current American health crisis. Cattle, as well as humans, are not naturally supposed to consume these great amounts of Corn/corn products. The corn overdose in cattle leads to an explosion of E.coli bacteria in their digestive system, putting the public at risk and requiring the cows to be doped up on expensive antibiotics. The introduction of Ethanol gasoline additive has led to higher prices and therefore increased production of corn, already in surplus. Growing corn depletes nutrients from the soil faster than almost any other crop. Corn responds extremely well to fertilizers however, which has dramatic consequences for our watersheds and rivers.

Abandoned Places

You could spend all day on this site so here is a best-of… but don’t take my word for it.

Amazing site…look at as many as you can before your eyes bleed, and save some to your computer, they make for a good slideshow or desktop wallpaper.

Rock Bottom Relationship.

Anger, angst, anguish, anxiety, aggravate, arabesque, atrophy, abandoned, asunder, alas, answer me, banished, basketcase, beleaguered, betrayal, bedridden, burned, brash, blue, bummer, broken, carnage, catastrophe, catalyst, calamity, can-o-worms, conniption, consequence, carnivore, careless, callous, crash, cheat, cheap, cringe, crisis, despair, dark, desperate, desolate, derailment, dashed, devolve, delove, demolish, depart, deny, disaster, depression, disallow, disavow, drunken, desire, desecrate, distorted, dagger, dump, drop, discourage, disgrace, disservice, demoralize, dissolve, diminish, dissipate, destiny, dull, dim, emotion, erase, end, entropy, entrapment, ego, exit, expire, extricate, exasperated, evil, forsaken, foe, falsity, fable, farce, fake, forlorn, forgo, forfeit, formaldehyde, forever, forget, formality, fiery, fallacy, flinch, frantic, frail, finished, flunk, failed, famished, faint, for granted, gasp, garnish, grudge, grimace, grasp, gash, game, ghoulish, grovel, gall, graduate, grief, grump, hamper, hangover, harsh, heartless, heartbroken, hate, haymaker, hammer, haunt, happenstance, hurt, hurl, hassle, harm, hades, had, haggle, humanity, hack, haven’t, hapless, hopeless, horror, hear me out, half-ass, insensitive, incorrect, icy, inept, inconsistent, incorrigible, inane, insane, insincere, insecure, inconvenient, isolate, irate, impasse, impolite, inconceivable, inundate, incarcerate, imprison, imminent, if, innate, in-operate, involved, insomnia, invested, irresolute, injustice, injure, jaded, jackal, javelin, judgment, joyless, junk, jab, jar, jugular, killed, knife, languish, laborious, lag, lame, lasting, lazy, loss, loser, loveless, loathe, lies, linger, listless, lost, low, lurk, menace, make-believe, misery, mourn, morbid, masked, malady, malicious, mind-blowing, mad, mayday, menacing, merciless, meddle, mythical, mashed, mope, mundane, maimed, no, nothingness, nil, nasty, non-existent, nonsensical, oppressive, owe, oath, ostracize, ouch, ominous, outcry, obsolete, otherwise, over, overwhelming, ocean of tears, passion, prejudice, premature, premonition, promises, precipice, perception, preposterous, punishment, pangs, purposelessness, phony, purgatory, purged, pout, past, parted, pointless, pallid, pampered, penalize, quarrel, quagmire, quibble, rash, rage, raze, reflection, reminisce, remorse, relapse, revile, retaliate, revenge, reality, reaction, reprehensible, reduced, rude, rancid, re-live, rut, ruminate, relegate, stab, senseless, spiteful, sinister, spinster, shrew, sour, sanguine, sorrow, sad, stammer, stricken, stark, stubborn, stupor, stupid, sully, saga, sap, stain, strain, swindle, schmuck, spat, slut, simple, spoil, sob, sulk, spar, scar, scum, sham, shock, tramp, trample, tremble, torn, torrid, tarnish, tattered, tailspin, taxing, tangle, tantrum, terrible, temperamental, tease, tears, testing, tentative, terminated, trauma, trap, trouble, tumultuous, terrifying, tormented, twisted, thorny, trash, tantalize, taunting, ugly, used, unappreciated, unlucky, unwanted, unwelcome, upside-down, unloved, unrelenting, untrustworthy, unpredictable, uninspired, unvalued, vanquished, vanish, vain, veiled, vile, warped, wanton, wacko, worn, wail, waning, weep, worsen, woman, yearn, young, zenith, zing, zero, zilch, zany, zombie, zounds.

The Spirit of Despotism

While renovating my friend’s newly purchased house i found a hidden copy of an 1805 hardback origionally printed in 1795. The name of the book is The Spirit of Despotism, written by Vicesimus Knox. The book was written in 1795 when Britain was leading the Coalition of monarchies in a war against the French Revolution, this is Knox’s warning that war against a foreign enemy helps create despotic government at home.

It may actually have been handed to me by God himself or it may have been some other sort of destiny. The book is of the utmost relevance in light of the current shifting political dynamics of our governmental structure as well as the controversial civil rights infringements in the news today relating to the war in Iraq.The book is fragile but intact including handwritten names and prices of several purchasers, as well as a printed list of New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Deleware suscribers of the book organized by counties. The list of names includes the name Robert Drummond of Monmouth County; this is the name of my grandfather & father, he resided in the neighboring county to the one my father grew up in, and is likely my ancestor.

Surely this is a call to action. Accordingly, I urge you all not to read the book, for it is in impossibly complex sentence structure but consider the idea and perhaps do some research on Vicesimus Knox; his name is cool and he was obviously on to something… there are over 400 names of early americans who ordered this book.