Spread of HIV blamed on 'PC' culture

[Thom Little]

An author who claimed that free speech and public life in Britain were being destroyed by "political correctness" was accused yesterday of being in the grip of "political incorrectness gone mad".

A book published by the think-tank Civitas described political correctness as "soft totalitarianism" and suggested that it was to blame for the bomb attacks on London on 7 July, excessive house building in rural areas, the spread of HIV, and for the deaths of NHS patients who could have been saved by a more efficient health system.

The author, Anthony Browne, a journalist for The Times, claims to have been prevented from appearing on the radio to make the "factually correct" but "politically incorrect" statement that the increase in HIV is caused by immigration from Africa. "The result of that conspiracy of silence is the Government follows a policy that does absolutely nothing to combat the growth of HIV," he wrote.

He also claimed "political correctness" had "allowed the creation of alienated Muslim ghettoes which produce young men who commit mass murder against their fellow citizens" and public debate on how to provide better health care had been suppressed because "the NHS is one of the few organisations that actually runs on the principle of political correctness". Mr Browne said: "Political correctness is literally killing people. If someone is poor because they are lazy, ill-disciplined, addicted to benefits and resentful of those who aren't, then encouraging them to blame others rather than emulating them will in fact just perpetuate their poverty."


http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/article336405.ece

[Barrett808]

1. Of course, 7/7 had nothing to do with the invasion of Iraq

:eyes:

[Democrats_win]

2. No mention of popes who won't allow condoms? Damn the PC police!

[Hello_Kitty]

3. Why do we have to share oxygen with people like him? n/t

[TechBear_Seattle]

4. Political correctness *caused* Muslim ghettoes?

And here I thought it was the anti-PC right wingers who hate "rag heads" that had restricted Muslims to small, overcrowded neighborhoods with little opportunity! Silly me.:crazy:

[Greeby]

5. This guy works for the Times - who broke the DSM story

Note to UK whistleblowers - take your info to an actual newspaper next time, instead of this Murdoch rag, you sully your own story if you do

[KamaAina]

6. Breaking: Use of the phrase "she or he" spreads HIV

um, NOT. :sarcasm:

Is this creep in Frist's country club or something? Cat Killer thinks tears spread HIV, this Browne thinks it's "political correctness", whatever that is :eyes:

[baldguy]

7. Treating people of different beliefs & backgrounds with respect

and calling out those who CHOOSE to show contempt for them is not "PC" - it's called being polite.

[meegbear]

8. Would you like to Britainnia rule again, my friend?

[Bridget Burke]

10. Why, yes, actually.

The author's book was published by Civitas. Here you can find more polite versions of US Right Wing favorites: What American HMO's Can Teach the UK Health System, Why We Don't Like LEGAL Immigration, etc.

www.civitas.org.uk/

They are pushing the century-old "Our Island Story" by H E Marshall as the ideal history text for English children. It ends with Victoria's death, when the whole map was Red; Civitas had it reprinted & distributed to English schools. Here are a reader's comments from ShopIreland (linked to Amazon.UK, I believe.)

When I was little I used to enjoy looking at my dad's copy of Our Island Story, especially the pictures of knights from days of old. How lucky I was to be growing up in England, where everyone is brave and true, and not in other countries, where everyone is fierce and wicked (except for a those who invaded England, and started off fierce and wicked but somehow ended up brave and true).

Now that I am older and wiser (and living in Scotland, a place populated only by savages until chapter 42) and I have this new version I realise that all the emphasis should be on the word 'Story'. In fact the author herself says at the end of the introduction 'Remember that I was not trying to teach you, but only tell a story.'

There is a huge helping of fiction mixed in with the facts, and from the first chapter you are never left in any doubt that this book was written 100 years ago for white middle-class English Christians.

www.shopireland.ie/books/reviews/1902984749/

[area51]

15. "What American HMO's Can Teach the UK Health System"

Well, let's see ... American HMOs can teach how to kill patients by denying them treatment; they practice medicine w/o a license & exist only to enrich themselves.

[Deja Q]

9. Bull shit.

AIDS is spread by naivety.

AIDS is spread by the unscrupulous.

AIDS is spread to or by the depressed; who do not want to live because of prejudice and hate aimed at them.

The fact I am still disease-free must speak volumes; given my depression and how even the unscrupled are not interested.

The core issues must be addressed, otherwise the problems will never be resolved. They can make as many excuses, judas goats, and red herrings all they want. You CANNOT eliminate a problem by picking at its symptoms. This is how our society is known to work; usually out of money, it's more profitable to alleviate symptoms than fix problems.

How can these idiots still shovel up lies... and how can people still blindly believe into it?

[Rex]

11. Soft totalitarianism is what we get from the BFEE.

PC is crap, I hate politicans so I refuse to be correct.

[VaYallaDawg]

12. Just when I thought I'd heard it all. n/t

[daleo]

13. Excessive house building in rural areas?

That claim seems hard to fathom. I have never thought of real estate developers as being "politically correct". It just goes to show how this meaningless phrase can be used to attempt to further any argument.

[tenshi816]

17. I can't work that one out either,

or figure out what it has to do with political correctness. I live in rural Yorkshire (and have more sheep as neighbours than I do people) and prefer it that way because I like the countryside, not because I'm politically correct or incorrect. I don't see what building houses in the rural areas - excessive or not - has to do with being PC. What nonsense.

My opinion of real estate developers is not high, and like you I don't think political correctness enters into their calculations. Their eye is on the bottom line and they'll build where they're allowed to build if it stands to make money for them.

[dennisnyc]

14. i heard the author interviewed on my local npr. He's not very good

at debate. Both the commentator and the "opposing guest" were trying to be interesting and pose questions. He couldn't handle it. He won't get very far with this rubbish line his selling...

[NuttyFluffers]

16. so, calling him 'ill-informed' vs mental midget makes him have unsafe sex?

my, my, my... someone has a very fragile ego and overwhelming libido. or is just batshit crazy. i'm gonna vote for batshit crazy.
:eyes:

[rucky]

18. Another fine product of a think-tank.

where do I get a job like that? I can actually get paid to be a moron and not have to work for the phone company!