And it is not an imaginary story or a dream, but something I read this summer and wanted to share with you.
Freakonomics is a book by Steven D. Levitt, economist University of Chicago, which is where are all the economists to whom they give the Nobel Prize, and Stephen J. Dubner, a journalist with the New York Times
. Contrary to what the title suggests, not about economics geek (then titled Geekonomics
) but on the economy where it seems there is no economy. For example, they explain that the drug cartels have the same corporate structure that McDonald demonstrates mathematically that sumo wrestling is rigged, which turned out to be true
. They also analyze the evolution of prices or oral sex is statistically more dangerous to go home walk and drive drunk and a drunkard.
One chapter is about the power of information, and that matter. Stetson Kennedy was an idealistic young member of a Southern family in the forties. The black maid who raised him, and he wanted more than his mother, was attacked and raped by members of the Ku Klux Klan for the sake of arguing with the white driver of a tram on the change ticket.
As if it were a secret source, Stetson vowed revenge fist at the ready, but instead of becoming superhero decided to infiltrate the Klan to gather information with which to sue. In the 40's the Klan had thousands of members and was firmly consolidated in a country where racial segregation practices were legal, and remained until the 60's. It was a very dangerous organization ideologically, but only occasionally violent, simply because they needed: in the 40's "only" 31 blacks were lynched. The black population did not dare to move.
The Klan was especially garrulos a fraternity of racists who met in secret ceremonies that Stetson was ridiculous, full of symbols and key phrases. Of course it was also a business for the leaders of the organization, which profited from membership dues. The information was gathered Stetson sent it to Justice or the newspapers, but their efforts were in vain because the Klan and its ideology permeated all levels of power. Furthermore, although could have done something against the Atlanta group which had infiltrated, there were thousands of groups in the United States.
One day, seeing a group of kids playing spies, came to be understood and trivialize the customs and rituals of the Klan would do them more harm that any judicial action. Writers wrote to the radio series Adventures of Superman
, and suggested they confront the hero with the Ku Klux Klan, an idea they liked. Stetson
the writers gave all the information he had, structure, rituals, oaths, passwords, ... In a few days the children of America played "Superman against the Klan." Group members were terrified what information they were "special", and that allowed them, for example, to get help from their brethren in other cities, were public. When they changed the password change was reflected in the serial. The next weekly meeting attended by only members, fearful of the traitor who certainly was in her womb, and the number of new claims dropped to almost zero. Trivialized and ridiculed, the Klan, if not ceased to exist, it lost thousands of members and never lifted his head. Probably a Stetson
today Wikileaks would use or something, but at that time used a method, the radio, and contents, the adventures of the greatest superhero of all, to achieve their ends. Stetson Kennedy and Superman were charged to the Ku Klux Klan.
But of course, superheroes are fascist. (Sigh)
