Inspired by my reading of WWII history. While reading The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, I thought, “What if . . .” and I realized that “what if” had happened, and is now happening, in another context.

Hades had declared war on Kosmos. The self-proclaimed ruler of Hades, Diabolos, intended to gain absolute dominion over the entire territory and population of Kosmos, and was enjoying great success in that venture. In fact, the people of Kosmos were mostly unaware that a war was being waged, and hardly put up a fight.

Across the sea was the nation of Ekklesia. Ekklesia had the resources bring relief to the people of Kosmos, and made a valiant effort to do so. As the war continued, Ekklesia was able to slow the enemy’s advances, and take in many refugees from territories devastated by the war.

But then one day, a few of the citizens of Ekklesia noticed that one of the territories of Kosmos was guilty of intolerable offenses. They spoke the same language, but with a funny accent. They drove on the left side of the road. They ate strange dishes with names like “bubble and squeak.” The Ekklesians who were most offended by those Kosmopolitan habits began to campaign aggressively against them. The louder and longer they cried out, the more Ekklesians they won over to their cause, until finally, the bulk of the war effort was not directed against Diabolos and the armies of Hades, but against the very people that he was attacking.

As the Ekklesians poured all their resources into changing the customs of the Kosmopolitans, the armies of Diabolos swept across Kosmos. Meanwhile, Ekklesians rejoiced when a law was passed forbidding the labeling of French fries as “chips.”