The Kloran?
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
I've just started reading Freakonomics, which is one of those great books that is continually surprising you by examining in new ways things you take for granted. Funny and thought-provoking, I suppose would be the concise conclusion of a review.
Anyway, in one of the early chapters there is the heartening tale of Stetson Kennedy. Now, the Nazis liked to dress up but they went for a leather and breeches sort of look, with fancy caps and braid. The proto-Nazis of the southern US decided that their politics were not enough to make them look foolish so they decided to dress up in white sheets and pointy hats.
It's a good look, I'm sure you agree. Especially when driving. Then they called themselves 'Dragons' and 'Cyclops' and 'Titans'. On top of that they had a bible they called the Kloran. That obviously fitted in well with their peculiar Christian view of the world. The Kloran? I guess if you can call your leader a Grand Dragon and maintain a straight face you see little problem in calling your bible something the Crusaders might have recognised for all the worng reasons. What Kennedy did, basically, was infiltrate the secret working of the KKK and make their terminology and passwords known. And he did this by passing on the information to the writers of the radio serial 'Superman' so that children were using the terms in new versions of cops and robbers, with the KKK the bad guys. Genius.
Anyway, in one of the early chapters there is the heartening tale of Stetson Kennedy. Now, the Nazis liked to dress up but they went for a leather and breeches sort of look, with fancy caps and braid. The proto-Nazis of the southern US decided that their politics were not enough to make them look foolish so they decided to dress up in white sheets and pointy hats.
It's a good look, I'm sure you agree. Especially when driving. Then they called themselves 'Dragons' and 'Cyclops' and 'Titans'. On top of that they had a bible they called the Kloran. That obviously fitted in well with their peculiar Christian view of the world. The Kloran? I guess if you can call your leader a Grand Dragon and maintain a straight face you see little problem in calling your bible something the Crusaders might have recognised for all the worng reasons. What Kennedy did, basically, was infiltrate the secret working of the KKK and make their terminology and passwords known. And he did this by passing on the information to the writers of the radio serial 'Superman' so that children were using the terms in new versions of cops and robbers, with the KKK the bad guys. Genius.
