History is written by the victors -disproved!
Posted by Bob on January 25, 2004
In Reply to: History is written by the victors -disproved! posted by Lewis on January 23, 2004
: : : : : : : This phrase seems to be everywhere of late. I can't find the origin. Does anyone have an idea where it came from, and who said/wrote it?
: : : : : : : Thanks.
: : : : : : I looked in several quote books (and at Quoteland online) and couldn't find it. I did find a similar quote:
: : : : : : "'Who controls the past,' ran the Party slogan, 'controls the future: who controls the present controls the past.'" George Orwell, "1984."
: : : : : WILLIAM J. CLINTON, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This is, in some ways, the newest of issues, and in some ways the oldest of issues. Plato said, thousands of years ago, "Those who tell the stories rule society."
: : : : : www.cnn.com/
TRANSCRIPTS/0009/12/nr.00.html
: : : : Thanks! I should have known it was Plato. I wonder how this variation developed.
: : : I'm pretty sure that my uncle Victor never wrote history. Come to think of it, he doesn't usually even sign cheques.
: : I had a cousin Victor who called occasionally from jail, but he never sent me a check, or provided a memorable quote.
: We have 2 examples of anecdotal evidence that show that Victors are not much in the way of historical scribes and no evidence in favour. I say that makes it 2-0 to the Victors.
By that measure, the Victors got to right the history.