I'd think the Klan analogy was essentially about the undeniable fact that if someone stood up at a public meeting swathed in white robes, people would see the costume and wouldn't hear what the person inside was saying, however sensible and humane that might in fact be.

In that kind of context the effect would be to concentrate attention on the individual, though not on their words. Not the anonymity of self-abnegation, but the anonymity of someone seeking to draw attention to themselves rather than contributing to an exchange of views. At least that is how it would be interpreted, and predictably so.

But it really would be better to talk about those kind of things in another thread about those kind of things, and there are bound to be more of them (and there are maybe some interesting ideas there to be unravelled and explored. But surely not here.)

Reverting to the Folk Alliance - could someone explain where it fits in, and what does. Is it analogous to the English Folk Dance and Song Society? Or Comhaltas ? If it crumbles or splits what difference is that likely to make?