History: Who's version should we believe?

A common theme throughout the ages is that history is always written by the victor. Only the version of those who wins is heard, with the losers' version either lost, or relegated to the forgotten niches.Another theme is how nationalism impacts the point of view, with one nation's version of heroic history viewed as sheer propaganda and glorification of aggressiveness.These two themes can be seen today in how media coverage of the victor (USA) malignes rivals using organized propaganda to brain wash its citizens, or how one people's terrorist is another people's freedom fighter.But let us explore other examples: World War II. Both Germany and Japan were seen as evil incarnate for the longest of time. Posters, movies, and cartoons all portrayed them that way, even after the war was over for decades.More recently, Japan has been telling a version of history to its students that glorified its militaristic past. This of course angered other Asian nations who have been at the receiving end of the violence of wars. In China, anti-Japan rallies were held in China. Later, Japan retaliated and criticized China's history books.The West is also susceptible to this, and is by no mean immune to it. Award winning Australian journalist John Pilger found that children in schools are learning the US version of history, with facts twisted to suit its world view.The only way to learn historical facts is to consult multiple sources, and know the biases of the writers, cross verify the facts, and come up with your own conclusions.