The Past Speaks

The Silly Season: Who Would Win a Presidential Knife Fight?

For the last two weeks, the blogosphere has been filled with speculation about the following scenario: suppose we brought all of Presidents back to life, issued each man with a knife, and ordered them to fight to the death in an arena. Who would win? Under this scenario, FDR would be equipped with an electric wheelchair. Alliances are permitted.

I’m amused by how seriously people have taken this question, which was originally posted on Reddit.  Large numbers of people, including several history professors I respect, have contributed to this debate or have retweeted links to it. See here, here, and here.

I suspect that the popularity of this meme in internet culture is driven by the presidential election, which had now shifted into top gear. People are thinking about what makes for a good president. Then this absurd debate comes along and it gives people a chance to blow off a bit of steam.