Who said it? Abba Eban, or Winston Churchill?

By Pablo Fanque, National Affairs Ed.

"You can always count on the American people to do the right thing, after they have exhausted all other possibilities."

 

This quotation is usually attributed to Winston Churchill.  NPR recently pointed out that "so many American politicians have misattributed this quote to Churchill that we can't count them. "  

NPR says that a  version of this—"Men and nations behave wisely when they have exhausted all other resources"—was first uttered in March 1967 by Israeli diplomat Abba Eban.  He never actually mentioned America.  Since then, the quote has made the rounds and been quoted, misquoted, and requoted until it has evolved, with even the speaker's name changed, sort of like the parlor game telephone. 

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