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That's the "In politics, everyone is a sociopath" version of politics.

It's true a lot of people think and live like this, but it would be interesting to see politics join the 21st century, instead of pretending that an ethical base that can be traced back to the Stone Age is something to celebrate.

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No, that's the real version of politics. It's realpolitik.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Realpolitik

There is no other way in politics. Never has been, never will be.

Oh, it's real, rather than fake? Whoever coined that word was trying too hard. It reminds one of "People's Republics" and fields of study the names of which include the word "science".

Realpolitik is gone, when everyone got a nuke. Even sociopaths have survival instincts - that's why no world war III so far. Stalin, Mao, Hitler, and there democratic domesticated Versions (who never get to the big conquests, cause so many other snakes in that damned parliament want to be king instead of the king). Whats really interesting is the planning horizon a government has when dealing with one another. A government with a low hanging planning horizon is due to be gambled again and again by governments with long term planning horizons. Also unintended consequences, the Saudi government might end up in exile or with the heads on spikes, put there by the very own radical movement they inspired.

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