Derogatory term: Wog

Question answered by barb131 in Scientology

FredricRice asked this question on 9/5/2000:

I've run across Robert A. Heinlein's use of the term "Wog" in his book, "The Number of the Beast." I know that L. Ron Hubbard hated "Chinks" as he called them, and that the Scientology cult uses the derogatory term for anyone who hasn't been suckered into the cult.

Did Hubbard get the term from Heinlein? Or was the racist term merely one od many used in Hubbard's time and Hubbard -- and his insane cult -- merely adopt the use of the term?

Thanks.

barb131 gave this response on 9/5/2000:

No one is entirely sure where he got the term 'wog.' It's a naval term for someone who hasn't yet crossed the equator, I believe. Hubbard was in the Navy, although was not a particularly noteworthy sailor. Despite his abysmal record, Hubbard went on to recreate his own little fake navy, the Sea Org. He may have used the Navy version of wog due to his pretentions of being a Navy hero.

Wog is, in British slang, short for golliwog, or any person of colour. Hubbard may have picked that up during his stay in the UK, before he was invited to leave that fair island and never return.

Either way, it is a derogatory term used to describe non-scientologists. It makes the culties feel special and important to denigrate people with the common sense not to join them.

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