▁in ▁Egypt , ▁advis ing ▁N asser ▁on ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁the ▁M uk hab ar at ▁and ▁becoming ▁N asser ' s ▁closest ▁Western ▁ad visor . ▁Cop eland ▁opposed ▁major ▁par amil it ary ▁C IA ▁operations ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁failed ▁Bay ▁of ▁P igs ▁In vas ion ▁of ▁Cuba ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 1 ▁on ▁the ▁grounds ▁that ▁they ▁were ▁impossible ▁to ▁keep ▁secret ▁due ▁to ▁their ▁size . ▁ ▁Cop eland ▁was ▁known ▁for ▁his ▁" M ach ia vel li an ▁sense ▁of ▁p ess im ism ▁about ▁human ▁nature ", ▁which ▁he ▁derived ▁in ▁part ▁from ▁The ▁Mach ia vel li ans , ▁a ▁book ▁written ▁by ▁his ▁" int el lect ual ▁ment or ", ▁the ▁T rot sky ist - turn ed - con serv ative ▁James ▁Burn ham . ▁Cop eland ▁requested ▁Burn ham ' s ▁" ad vice ▁about ▁ways ▁to ▁shore ▁up ▁revolution ary ▁govern ments " ▁and ▁dist illed ▁Burn ham ' s ▁teach ings ▁into ▁three ▁key ▁points : ▁ 1 ) ▁The ▁major ▁priority ▁of ▁any ▁government ▁is ▁perpet u ating ▁its ▁rule ; ▁ 2 ) ▁Political ▁leaders ▁must ▁remain ▁cogn iz ant ▁of ▁the ▁ir r ational ity ▁of ▁their ▁subjects ; ▁and ▁ 3 ) ▁A ▁successful ▁revolution ▁requires ▁a ▁certain ▁degree ▁of ▁political ▁repr ession , ▁although ▁it ▁is ▁more ▁advantage ous ▁if ▁repr ession ▁is ▁kept ▁to ▁a ▁minimum . ▁ ▁In ▁The ▁Game ▁Player , ▁Cop eland ▁rec ount ed ▁that ▁he