09 October, 2005

Political Inconsistency

Surfing the web, I found the most amazing little quiz: Iconochasms, a compendium that highlights some of the notable inconsistencies among major political figures. But as Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds." Here's a sample of questions about people who, for better or worse, were not always consistent (answers are in the comment section):

Who, commenting on the deaths of more than half a million children, said "I think that this is a very hard choice, but the price - we think the price is worth it," Yasser Arafat, Madeline Albright, Pandit Nehru, or Ayotollah Kohmeini?

With reference to World War One, who said "If our country were defeated, I hope we should find a champion as admirable (as Hitler) to restore our courage and lead us back to our place among the nations," General Montgomery, Winston Churchill, King George VI, or Bertrand Russell?

The two questions above may be among the easier ones; others are more challenging. It's a lot of fun to see both what the surprising answers are, and how many you answer correctly (My score was 30 out of 46). Go, take the quiz for yourself.