“Winner writes history”. This simple phrase simplifies the complex narrative of history, particularly in the context of conflict. Today, it would take only a cursory search online to find examples of ‘losers.’ Why does this age-old saying persist? As is evident by the qualifying terms of ‘winner’ and ‘loser,’ history is entirely biased no matter who records it.
“Human beings are a disease, a cancer of this planet. You are a plague, and we are the cure”. Agent Smith’s words to Morpheus echo in the Matrix-inspired, Danny Boyle-directed play, Free Your Mind, which claims to depict a world where humans are enslaved by algorithms. Yet, the play refrains from accusing those behind these technological systems as the perpetrators of the consumerist nightmare.
In Russia, memories of Stalinist repressions and the Gulag are contentious topics. Despite over 20 million people perishing as a result of Stalin’s purges and many more being forced into labour camps in Siberia, the Kremlin, through propaganda and censorship, has consistently attempted to sanitise its dark history, which it portrays as a necessary measure for the nation’s security and stability. The state memory, in which the grim realities of past forced labour camps and political repressions are downplayed, however, has not gone unchallenged.
On January 6th 2021, following Joe Biden’s election, Donald Trump spoke at a rally where he told voters that if they did not “fight like hell, [they were] not going to have a country anymore”. Fuelled by the belief that the 2020 election was ‘rigged,’ enraged Americans, some armed, stormed Capitol Hill. The attack resulted in five deaths and over $2.7 million in damages. Since then, Donald Trump has faced impeachment twice, been arrested and been charged with 97 felonies, including charges related to the inciting of violence on Jan. 6th.
The Reign of Terror is a haunting and unforgettable chapter in the annals of the French Revolution; characterised by political radicalisation led by Maximillien Robespierre, it saw the relentless blade of the guillotine and the infamous executions of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI. This tumultuous period prompts compelling questions about how the revolution transformed into its most radical and violent phase: was the Terror an inevitable consequence of royal betrayal and the increasing power of the people, or was it caused by an unfortunate deviation resulting from unforeseen circumstances?
