You are pathetically capitalist. What if I believe that the best power in the world - is our society, and I would do anything in the world to make it a more powerful one? Even if that puts me in a less advantageous position?

Your “power dynamics” arument is now flawed - since I could argue both for the strengthening of my position or against (or even both, depending on the shape of the question).

What Machiavelly got right, on the other hand - was the fact that everyone is flawed. You could either take advantage of that or you could work with it.

He has nothing to do with the “winner takes it all” or “eat or be eaten” philosophy.