Help!!! Cameleons in History (need ideas)
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Category: Regional History or Period History
Forum Name: AE Geopolitical Institute
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URL: http://www.allempires.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=8391
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Topic: Help!!! Cameleons in History (need ideas)
Posted By: poirot
Subject: Help!!! Cameleons in History (need ideas)
Date Posted: 18-Jan-2006 at 01:07
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Dear knowledgeable and industrious members of AE: I really need help on this one: I am writing an essay on famous chameleons in history. It is a definition essay, and I have very good ideas on how to write it, but I need some examples of famously notorious chameleons in history to make the essay complete. The idea is based on Anton Chekhov's shory story The Chameleon, in which a police superintendent, being a chameleon, rapidly changes his attitude toward a hound based on reports whether the hound belonged to the general. A chameleon is an animal that changes color to conform to the background. My definition of a chameleon is a person who changes his position constantly to conform with whoever or whatever is in power. A shameless conformist who, regardless of his real convictions, shamelessly sides with the stronger establishment to protect or advance his self interests. I have a pretty good idea of the essay, but I would like more raw materials to work with. I would love to hear some examples of famous, notorious chameleons in history. ------------- AAAAAAAAAA "The crisis of yesterday is the joke of tomorrow.� ~ HG Wells |
Replies:
Posted By: Maju
Date Posted: 18-Jan-2006 at 04:06
I don't know about historical chamaleons but I can't but recall Zelig of Woody Allen. 
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NO GOD, NO MASTER! |
Posted By: poirot
Date Posted: 18-Jan-2006 at 04:08
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Just to give an example, Charles Talleyrand. I can only think of one or two examples, that is why I am asking the entire AE forum to help! ------------- AAAAAAAAAA "The crisis of yesterday is the joke of tomorrow.� ~ HG Wells |
Posted By: Maju
Date Posted: 18-Jan-2006 at 04:43
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Fouché? Manuel Fraga? From fascist killer to conservative democrat mild defender of Galician peculiarities? Mussolini? From socialist to inventor of fascism? Josep Piqué? From Troskist to Tory and master of reverences. -------------
NO GOD, NO MASTER! |
Posted By: Paul
Date Posted: 18-Jan-2006 at 05:08
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Would Talleyrand be a chameleon. He didn't really change his political beliefs, he just never had any. Oswald Mosely would be a good example. He was in the labour party whinging it was not left enough, without success. Started his own more left wing party, which failed. Then moved further and further right with increasing popularity until he was dining with the Hitlers. http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/PRmosley.htm - http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/PRmosley.htm ------------- Light blue touch paper and stand well back http://www.maquahuitl.co.uk - http://www.maquahuitl.co.uk http://www.toltecitztli.co.uk - http://www.toltecitztli.co.uk |
Posted By: ulrich von hutten
Date Posted: 18-Jan-2006 at 05:09
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an example of the present. ex -minister of foreign affairs of germany joseph"joschka" fischer formally a member of anarchistic groups he changed to that person you may know. in the meantime he was an ecologic hardliner and pacifist. ------------- 
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Posted By: poirot
Date Posted: 18-Jan-2006 at 05:18
Exactly, a chameleon does not have deep set beliefs, for he changes what he stands for based on who is in power. Talleyrand fits the exact mold. My definition of a chameleon in my essay is one who conforms shamelessly to secure or advance his personal interests. He does not necessarily believe in what he conforms to, but he decides change banners because it suits his interests. A good point: someone who changes his beliefs from A to B because he is convinced that B is better than A is not a chameleon by my defnintion. A chemeleon is someone who changes from A to B not because he believes in B but because he can better survive/advance his interests through B. ------------- AAAAAAAAAA "The crisis of yesterday is the joke of tomorrow.� ~ HG Wells |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 18-Jan-2006 at 06:12
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In the Netherlands we have the D66 party, who the past three years never had their own opinion for more than 3 weeks. In Mexican history an example may be Pascual Orozco, who first was anarchist, became liberal when he joined with Madero, then switched to socialist to join with Villa and eventually ended up supporting the reactionary conservative dictatorship of Victoriano Huerta. ------------- |
Posted By: Paul
Date Posted: 18-Jan-2006 at 06:15
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I think there's three positions. The pragmatist who has no beliefs and plays the role of a or b out of convenience. The convert who really believes a then genuinely converts to b. The betrayer who plays the role of supporting b for success while genuinely supporting a. There's also people who mix these positions throughout their life. For me Tallyrand is a pragmantist, Mosely a convert. Are they all chameleons or some more than other in you definition ------------- Light blue touch paper and stand well back http://www.maquahuitl.co.uk - http://www.maquahuitl.co.uk http://www.toltecitztli.co.uk - http://www.toltecitztli.co.uk |
Posted By: Zagros
Date Posted: 18-Jan-2006 at 06:26
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King John Balliol of Scotland, the puppet of Edward I 1292-96. ------------- |
Posted By: poirot
Date Posted: 18-Jan-2006 at 10:27
The pragmatist who has no beliefs and plays the role of a or b out of convenience. ------------- AAAAAAAAAA "The crisis of yesterday is the joke of tomorrow.� ~ HG Wells |
Posted By: Paul
Date Posted: 18-Jan-2006 at 11:30
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Richard Neville 'the kingmaker' springs to mind. However my personal favourite in the political deviousness stakes has to be the grand daddy of them all and make Tallyrand look like and angel.... Alcibiades ------------- Light blue touch paper and stand well back http://www.maquahuitl.co.uk - http://www.maquahuitl.co.uk http://www.toltecitztli.co.uk - http://www.toltecitztli.co.uk |
Posted By: Genghis
Date Posted: 18-Jan-2006 at 12:49
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Alcibiades in the Peloponessian War, if I recall correctly he defected to Sparta from Athens and then back to Athens in the war. ------------- Member of IAEA |
Posted By: Paul
Date Posted: 18-Jan-2006 at 13:28
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Persia as well, He also managed to get the Spartan queen pregnant. ------------- Light blue touch paper and stand well back http://www.maquahuitl.co.uk - http://www.maquahuitl.co.uk http://www.toltecitztli.co.uk - http://www.toltecitztli.co.uk |
Posted By: Constantine XI
Date Posted: 18-Jan-2006 at 21:50
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Cleopatra isn't a bad one. Though she only changed in terms of personal loyalty. Her inner loyalty to Egypt never changed.
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Posted By: morticia
Date Posted: 19-Jan-2006 at 16:31
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I consider Mary Magdalen a chameleon.
"A mistaken notion has prevailed that this Mary was a woman of bad character, that she was the woman who is emphatically called "a sinner" (Luke 7:36-50)." There are many different perceptions about Mary Magdalen. She has been called both a woman of ill-repute and a holy woman! You have to be a chameleon to pull that off! ------------- "Morty Trust in God: She will provide." -- Emmeline Pankhurst |
Posted By: Nick1986
Date Posted: 12-Jul-2012 at 19:02
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Bishops Gardiner and Bonner might qualify. They conformed under Henry, but as soon as Edward died they proclaimed themselves Catholics and burned many Protestants on Mary's orders
------------- Me Grimlock not nice Dino! Me bash brains! |