Richard Nordquist, author of the very useful Grammar & Composition Guide, quotes David Grant:
Situational irony focuses on the surprising and inevitable fragility of the human condition, in which the consequences of actions are often the opposite of what was expected.A current film describes the unexpected outcome of history's most comprehensive radical reform for women, the legalization of abortion.
Here's some irony for you:
If the statistic is true, more female babies are aborted every year in China and India than are born yearly in the United States. And while banning sex-selective abortions might slow the slaughter, the reality is that many infant girl deaths happen right after their birth at full term.
This all reminds me of another less tragic example of situational irony, the introduction of rabbits to the Australian continent in 1859. Says an Aussie blogger,
The introduction of rabbits in Australia by Thomas Austin was a serious mistake, and he totally miscalculated the effects it would have, not only on the native Australian animals, but also on our plant life...It's not an exaggeration to say that the West totally miscalculated the effects legalized abortion would have, not only on the world's birthrates, but also on the perceived value of human life.
