Political correctness

[David]

One of the main reasons for Donald Trump's current popularity over in America is his denunciation of 'political correctness'. It's clearly struck a chord with a lot of people, although I think it's fair to say it's a phrase that sometimes means completely different things to different people.

What does it mean to you? And given your understanding of it, do you see political correctness as a good thing or a bad thing?

[Jezza]

I passionately hate political correctness. My meaning of political correctness is that it's just a way to avoid offending someone or something especially those in disadvantaged positions. It hinders rational debate and discussion on any topic that surrounds sensitivity and controversy. It goes against the very nature of what freedom of speech was intended for in the first place.

For example you cannot talk about the doctrine of Islam and the ideology of Islamism without being called an Islamophobe (a made-up term to silence critics), you cannot critically discuss Indigenous Affairs or African-American affairs without being called a 'racist' and being categorised as someone who has 'white privilege', you cannot oppose same-sex marriage without someone labelling you a 'homophobe' without a valid reason or on a more casual sense you cannot say merry christmas without getting eyebrows raised (now the appropriate term is 'happy holidays') for example.

Here are 11 cases of political correctness gone mad.

http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2011/10/07/11-cases-of-political-correctness-gone-mad/

[Skids]

^ Yep

I'm just waiting for it to hit my plumbing fittings; a fitting (brass, plastic or copper) that 'screws' into or fits into something else is called a male fitting. The fitting that receives this male fitting is called a female fitting. Surely this is unacceptable

[David]

[Mugwump]

We have always had some measure of political correctness. It was called politeness, and it rested on conventions that were almost universally accepted by society. It was, and is, mostly a good thing.

I think everybody realises that the word "n*gger", for instance, is so associated with brutality and degradation that it should not be used by anyone who is from the group that, historically, did the degrading. I have no basic problem with that, as long as it relates to present usage. I object when it tries to rewrite history. Joseph Conrad's fine novel "the N*gger of the Narcissus", for instance, is called what it is called, and we should be able to respect historic facts rather than deny them.

Happy holidays is another example. Whether you are Christian or not, December 25th is a traditional festival holiday called Christmas, with a specific historical meaning in most nominally Christian countries. Change the words, and you change the meaning. You lose something which most people do not consider oppressive.

I suspect that the underlying reason for political correctness is simply that our societies have become so fragmented that some people feel the need to reinstate a single narrative, a single interpretation of social facts. Since politics seems to be the new religion, it is politics (ie the struggle of social groups for dominance) that supplies the new gospel.

It's notable that political correctness is a phenomenon of the Left. i suppose that simply reflects the Left's universalist claims. If you are on the Left, you are by definition claiming that something that is not the case now, should be the case for everyone in the future. So you change the language to reflect how it should be. The Right, which starts from the premise that things are right as they are (or were), is happy with the language of history until it is clear that the historic language is causing active harm.

[think positive]

I hate happy holidays. It's $£$%^%%$ merry Christmas!

Must be hard to describe a person to the cops these days, how do you describe a short fat black bald homosexual without offending anyone?

[Mugwump]

What the.... I quoted the n-word above with complete disapproval and someone (an algorithm?). substituted "i am racist" in its place ....! How completely bizarre. If it was a human being that substituted those words in that place, then i'd like to know who, please.

[pietillidie]

In a ranking of social problems, political correctness comes in at a distant 323rd. There are no free passes in public opinion; if you want to engage in public debate, and can't handle accusations of inappropriateness by dealing with those making the charge, you're in the wrong business. Go back to the bar of like-minded people and engage in sheltered debate that doesn't require political jostling.

[pietillidie]

That would be an auto-function on Nick's, Mugwump. You can upload a text file of commonly-censored terms, activate a default set, create replacement terms, etc. Carlscum is one such term which is often turned into something more amusing

[Mugwump]

^ sure, it's not the largest issue going around, but it's a reasonable question as to who gets to define "appropriateness" and to contest their right and basis for doing so, since their objective is not open public debate but to confine its terms and limit others' freedom to speak without moral censure.

[stui magpie]

^

It's the swear filter. It's set to political correct mode.

eg, it used to be set (may still be, this will test it) so if you referred to C00n cheese, it would replace the brand name of the cheese with "I am racist.

Like this. Coon Cheese.

OK tested and that one has been turned off. Thank dog for that, it's messy to try to cook with half a cup of shredded I am racist cheese.

[pietillidie]

[stui magpie]

How a white man says N1gga to a black man.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G39AJrNlWw4

[pietillidie]

^Haha gold

[Mugwump]