Salman Rushdie - Machiavelli's Bad Rap

Complete video at: http://fora.tv/2008/06/18/A_Conversation_with_Salman_Rushdie

Award-winning novelist Salman Rushdie discusses Niccolo Machiavelli, arguing that the infamous Italian political philosopher does not deserve the bad reputation he is often given by popular culture.

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Born in Mumbai, India, Salman Rushdie is an outspoken novelist. After a decade working as an ad copywriter, Rushdie had a breakthrough with the publication of his second book, Midnight's Children. The book received critical acclaim and was awarded the Booker Prize in 1981.

His latest novel, The Enchantress of Florence, about a bewitching Moghul princess and her Florentine exploits with such historical characters as Machiavelli, is due out this June - City Arts & Lectures

Sir Ahmed Salman Rushdie is an Indian-British novelist and essayist. He first achieved fame with his second novel, Midnight's Children (1981), which won the Booker Prize.Much of his early fiction is set at least partly on the Indian subcontinent. His style is often classified as magical realism, while a dominant theme of his work is the story of the many connections, disruptions, and migrations between the Eastern and Western worlds.

His fourth novel, The Satanic Verses (1988), led to protests from Muslims in several countries, some of which were violent. Faced with death threats and a fatwā (religious edict) issued by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, then Supreme Leader of Iran, which called for him to be killed, he spent nearly a decade largely underground, appearing in public only sporadically.

In June 2007, Rushdie was appointed a Knight Bachelor for services to literature. In 2007, he began a five-year term as distinguished writer in residence at Emory University.

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[reivenlocke]

@noronhacandrew

The Satanic Verses were based on real scriptures stricken from Islamic dogma.  It's screwed up that a religion can become so zealous that you would try to kill people that portray your holy figures as anything less than a symbol of perfection.

It's because of crap like this and fundamental Christian hatemongering that I opted out of organized religion years ago.

[stefanswe]

@ayeshter

Even if he did know how offensive it would be, he still went ahead with it and he should be applauded for it.

A knighthood is the least we can do for this man

[SHITCAKES4U]

Either you will give me this video, or I will take it by force. muhahahaha.

[darkillity]

Machiavelli was a republican and not a democrat, Mr. Rushdie.

[Creativethinking2000]

You are so right! Check out ‘The mind of a leader animation series – Machiavelli’ and you will get a better understanding. Cool short visual version!

[jimberkt]

DO people really think that way about Machiavelli? I've never even read his book but i feel that I've known for a long time that Machiavellian referred to what he exposed in his writing rather than how he acted. Maybe he's just unfortunate that his name made a better adjective than the title of his book.

His character in Assassin's Creed is pretty interesting. He works against the ruling elite but the other characters are always suspicious of him.

[noobler9]

@noobler9 oh, and don't forget apathy, the "I don't care" in all of this it's REALLY tempting to say "you don't care? then you won't mind if I DO THIS!" and then raise poor people's taxes or something but then I think, naw, that's just mean, how about a true democrat in power acts like an oligarch and does symbolic stuff that REALLY riles up the people, but gives justifications that are really crappy and the kinds oligarchs would give but.... doesn't do anything that'd actually harm.

[noobler9]

@noobler9 sorry, most adults only hide it better, and only a few learn to counter it better in themselves, it's a hard thing to do after all and if you actually talk to most, well

even churchill said "the best argument against democracy is a 5 minute conversation with your average voter"  you gotta admit the oligarch's criticism of democracy is valid, the trick is... to admit these things, and work against them, if you truly believe democracy is worth it DESPITE these problems.

[noobler9]

@08infidel I mean, look at north america in the 90's, ex communists? COME ON OVER! the expectation being "they know they lost, so all's well everyone knows our values are the best values" canada is attached to the USA in a large way pox americana will continue as it's decline worstens it's temper, just like a child who's hungry or tired ;) I really meant it when I said human condition, just look at children, most only hide it better, only a few counter it better in themselves

[noobler9]

@08infidel in fact, if you look back throughout history, this stuff ALWAYS occurs in times of decline there's a recurring history where those who are on the rise are usually the nicest (to those they identify with and identify with them) and those in decline are nasty brutish pieces of work who are xenophobic and all that look at nixon for instance, that kind of "everyone's out to get a piece of me" attitude is the most common thing and it's terrifying or perception of decline even.

[noobler9]

@08infidel or not even really two legitimate ideas, but two general dispositions even it's not a stable pole however, they definitely mutate you ever notice how liberals and conservatives both call each other nazis for different reasons? the most worrisome part to me is that the nazis aren't special, they might've been the best at what they did but they were not by any means the only game in town, at all. at any time. even today. even here (we think they were, over in north america)