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A week later, when they were alone in Bodin’s office, Bodin said to Fred, “Historians will like this book. But over the years and centuries, only historians will read it all. I’d like to do something that will teach a lesson for the ages. Something everyone will remember for a thousand years.”
“Careful, Bodin. Hitler said the same thing.”
“True,” said Bodin. “And we did learn a lesson from him that will last a thousand years. We learned a lesson from Julius Caesar that’s lasted two thousand years. We learned a lesson from Leonidas that’s lasted twenty-five hundred. Unfortunately, to learn all those lessons, mostly the wrong people died.”
Fred said, “Who gets to decide who are the wrong people now?”
Bodin ignored the question, “I have a different idea. I’ve got a theory about what causes some wars and all dark ages: Intolerance of diversity.”
Fred looked at him questioningly, and said, “Explain.”
Bodin said, “Intolerance cuts us off from each other. It makes others seem less than human. That makes wars possible. To want to fight - to kill - someone, you have to dehumanize them first. And demonize them.”
“That I’ve seen. A lot,” said Fred.
“And it cuts us off from our history. It makes other cultures and other sciences and other knowledge a threat. That causes dark ages.”
“You’re going to have to explain that, too,” said Fred.
Bodin told him what he had told Reverend Bukowski on the plane. The tolerance of multiple gods of life. The intolerance of a single god of death. The resulting demonization and banning of the great Roman, Greek, and Egyptian cultures. And the Dark Age caused by that ignorance.
“Look, Fred, we’ve both been in a war caused by intolerant people ... on both sides. We’ve seen what it does to people.”
Fred said, “Yes.”
Bodin was softly passionate, “Me, I’d do anything to stop the next one. Anything. Well I ... we ... have that chance. For a brief time right now, we are true supermen. We have the technology to help humanity as never possible before. To expose and attack the worst of humanity, no matter where they are. No matter how well protected. To attack and weaken intolerance like it’s never been weakened before. Maybe even to prevent a future dark age.
“But if we wait too long, shields will make it impossible. I’ll tell you what I have in mind. You tell me what you think of it ... ”