willowfall
Senator
So, ‘winner’ is just a momentary perception, a self-declared status (at best confirmed by pumpjacks and others who hope a part of the power will trickle down on themselves, and satisfy their narcissist self-esteem), and being in power does not automatically make one a winner, definitely not if one needs terror to stay in power. Because what makes the winner, is the one who has achieved a position of being exempt to use intrigue or force to maintain his position in power. Yet, all rulers, even absolutist dictators, even the gods Zeus or Jupiter, still have this problem.
That is an incredibly 20th-21st Century liberal western view which I suspect will be discredited in the long view of history but it does raise an interesting philosophical point.
How a point of view or a conclusion can change based on PREVALING individual or cultural concepts (emotion) v facts.
To keep it in the context of our website in the Roman Empire slavery and public executions were not only facts that they happened but were morally supported by 'the truth' of the political situation and morals of the times. Today we accept that these things happened in Rome but 'the truth' has become that they were morally reprehensible.
The Mongols ruled the world's largest empire for several centuries thru the use of military force and terror (and some people claim the Roman Empire did the same). I'm fairly sure that they thought of themselves as "winners" and I'm fairly sure the vast majority of the subject people decided to accept the fact that the Mongols were in charge and we had better do as we are told.
Centuries of time, and the acceptance of the facts by literally millions of people, is hardly "a momentary perception" or "a self-declared status".
kisses
willowfall