1. Politicians should be skilled in war in case it is ever needed. A strong army should be established, but not overused. However, war these days is much different than war in Machiavelli's day. Today there are other ways we can resolve problems without resorting to war, such as peace talks and peace treaties. In Machiavelli's essay 'The Qualities of the Prince', he makes it seem that being skilled in war is one of the only qualities that a good leader needs. For example, Machiavelli states, "A prince who lacks this ability lacks the most important quality in a leader; because this skill teaches you to find the enemy, choose a campsite, lead troops,organize them for battle and besiege towns to your own advantage.(39)" If leaders today followed all the rules of war from Machiavelli's era, many more problems would arise between different countries. Modern war is different from war in the past.Going to war is a big decision so usually other means of resolving problems are tried first. In Machiavelli's era, war was the only way. War will always play a part in government, however aspects of war have changed throughout time.