Trump & Romney: Nothing succeeds like success; Winner's world view suddenly becomes acceptable to some previously bitter critics

Last update on 16th Dec. 2016

We have the famous saying that history is written by the victors which I think would have been true for 19th century and earlier, dominant historical accounts of many of the 19th century and earlier wars and empires. Perhaps that holds good for some of the 20th century wars and empires/countries as well. But today in the early 21st century, especially with the proliferation of social media and independent social media writers (I like to think that in the past few years I have become one of them :-)), it is not so easy for victors either in wars, or political campaigns, or in succession struggles to business empires or even spiritual movements, to suppress truth about negative aspects of the winners and positive aspects of the losers, and provide a dominant historical narrative of their war/succession struggle/political campaign which is only their view of what happened.

But for those who want to be part of the winning dispensation and enjoy and exercise power (including enjoying direct and indirect financial gain), even today in the early 21st century, whether it is war or political campaign or succession struggle in business empire/spiritual movement, they have to sing the tune of the winner(s) and ignore any criticism they themselves may have made in the past! That's the price to pay for joining the winner's team!

Here's an article giving current views of (former) Governor Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican nominee for USA president, and previously (in 2016 itself) bitter critic of then 2016 Republican party nominee for president, Donald Trump, on now winner of presidential election and so  president-elect Donald Trump, "In an abrupt about-face, Romney emerges from dinner with Trump full of frog legs and high praise", https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/11/29/in-an-abrupt-about-face-romney-emerges-from-dinner-with-trump-full-of-frog-legs-and-praise/, Nov. 29th 2016.

Mitt Romney is quoted as saying, "By the way, it's not easy, winning" .. "I know that myself. He did something I tried to do and was unsuccessful in. He won the general election." Ravi: I like this honesty of Romney. He said it like it is.

Romney also is quoted as saying, "What I've seen through these discussions I've had with President-elect Trump, as well as what we've seen in his speech the night of his victory, as well as the people he's selected as part of his transition, all of those things combined give me increasing hope that President-elect Trump is the very man who can lead us to that better future".

Ravi: Wow! What an unbelievable turn-around! But that's the power of winning. Nothing succeeds like success! Especially in the fiercely competitive, free market champion and capitalism champion USA!
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A comment of mine (slightly edited) in response to a mail comment about principles and integrity, is given below.

Once again, these developments show to me, so much similarity between people of Asia and Europe/America. Shakespeare's plays which show an extraordinary insight into human strengths and weaknesses of iconic figures in Western history (e.g. Julius Caesar and Marcus Brutus, which play was my unforgettable take away from my K-10 and lower schooling years in Bombay, as well as my later careful reading/study of some of Shakespeare's plays), have a great attraction to Indian English readers because they find they can relate to it so easily given somewhat similar (though not very similar) stories of iconic figures in Indian history and Hindu epics.

In Indian political field as well as business empire and spiritual movement fields and I have to say with a lot of sadness, even Indian academic fields, such behaviour of supporting victors and giving up one's stand espoused publicly prior to the victor's victory, is common. The few who stick to their principles even as they are marginalized and even sometimes thrown out of institutions that they have served for long, earn the admiration, and sometimes even worshipful admiration, of ethical and principled people, and due to that have general respect from the common people in their societies. Some even become like martyr-icons who stayed true to their values despite having to face extraordinary hardships as they did not sell out their principles!!! In deeply religious India, such martyr-icons of principled and ethical life, acquire a demigod status. Perhaps the most respected religious icon-god of Hindu India, Lord Rama, is deeply venerated due to his having stood for principles of truth and ethical life (Sathya and Dharma) and having accepted all the hardships that such a principled life forced on him.
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Here's an interesting article, Trump wasn’t happy with his State Department finalists. Then he heard a new name., https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-wasnt-happy-with-his-state-department-finalists-then-he-heard-a-new-name/2016/12/13/0727658e-c161-11e6-8422-eac61c0ef74d_story.html, Dec. 13th 2016

It mentions that, according to a close Romney aide, Trump wanted an apology from Romney (for his vicious criticism of Trump during the campaign) but that Romney was not willing to do so. However, a Trump spokesperson denied that Trump requested an apology from Romney.

Please note that I have a PUBLICLY NEUTRAL informal-student-observer role in these posts that I put up about the USA presidential elections. Of course, as I am an Indian citizen living in India, there is no question of me having voted in these elections.

[I thank (former) Gov. Romney (and washingtonpost.com) and have presumed that they will not have any objections to me sharing the above short quotes of Romney from the above mentioned website on this post which is freely viewable by all, and does not have any financial profit motive whatsoever.]