from The Art of Worldly Wisdom Shield against malice cxlix Knowing how to put others out of their misery.
To have a shield against malice is a great skill of rulers. It is not due to incompetence, as the malefactors imagine, but to the higher policy of having one who is subject to the condemnation of the disaffected and the punishment of universal hatred. Therefore, it is good to have such a scapegoat, a target for ill-fated undertakings, even if it comes at the expense of one’s pride.
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