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Well, that was one thing you had to give [Makann] credit…

“Well, that was one thing you had to give [Makann] credit for. He wanted to run out the Gilgameshers. Everybody was in favor of that. Now, Trask could remember something he'd gotten from Harkaman. There had been Hitler, back at the end of the First Century Pre-Atomic; hadn't he gotten into power…” quote by H. Beam Piper
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““Well, that was one thing you had to give [Makann] credit for. He wanted to run out the Gilgameshers. Everybody was in favor of that. Now, Trask could remember something he'd gotten from Harkaman. There had been Hitler, back at the end of the First Century Pre-Atomic; hadn't he gotten into power because everybody was in favor of running out the Christians, or the Moslems, or the Albigensians, or somebody?””

H. Beam Piper

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The quote draws a parallel between historical mass persecutions and the desire to eliminate an entire group, warning against collective zealotry.

In simple terms: Mass hatred can be justified by popular support.

Key Takeaway

Beware of groupthink that targets minorities.

Themes

history ethics power mass violence

Mood

cautionary reflective

Type

historical political

When to use this quote

  • political movements
  • religious conflicts
  • policy debates
  • education curricula

Key Concepts

genocide authoritarianism social psychology

Questions to Reflect On

  • How does popular support enable atrocities?
  • What safeguards prevent similar actions today?
A Different Perspective

The analogy may oversimplify complex historical causes.

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