Derogatory term: Wog
Question answered by remiel 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.
remiel gave this response on 9/5/2000:
the theory I have heard about this is that Hubbard spent a
long time in England, and at one point attempted to
establish a base in Rhodesia. Possibly at this time he tried
to cultivate the air of the ex-pat colonial gentleman (it
sounds like the kind of affectation he would adopt), and so
started to use their terminology. 'wog' has been used as a
racial slur since long before Hubbard's time (for proof,
check any Enid Blyton book), but was a very British term,
especially in the colonies. It is possible that he picked the
term up here and decided to use it in the growing
terminology of Scientology. Hubbard was, in my opinion,
more a packrat than a plagariser, although he was both,
and the phrase was appropriated and flung into his
mishmash of terms and ideas.
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