Political Correctness Poll Volume 4

[bryant69]

This might be the last one. But maybe not.

Anyway same drill as yesterdays; here's a statement, tell me whether you agree with it or not.

"Political Correctness is largely a hoax, designed to render the expression of liberal ideas or the criticism of conservatives ideas socially unacceptable."

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[bowens43]

1. the term 'Political Correctness' is an attempt by the right

to portray basic human decency and respect as a negative perpetrated by liberals. Liberalism is morally and ethically superior to conservatism. They know this and are trying to make it appear as if hatred, bigotry, selfishness and greed are desirable traits, family values.

[denverbill]

3. I'd agree with your definition more than the one posted.

Decrying 'political correctness' is the conservatives way of saying they want to be able to tell ethnic jokes and sexually harass women without getting fired.

[bryant69]

6. More than that

They want to do those things without even being criticized.

[AverageJoe]

2. While I agree that the right wing uses PC as a stick

to bash liberals with, I have had some experience with the less pleasant aspects of PC. The example I like to trot out is this. I'm not making it up:

About ten years ago, I took a graduate class in Gender Theory at a major southern university. The class was team-taught by a man and a woman. The students were told, early in the semester, that we'd all do okay in the course, just as long as we could accept the fact that all men are responsible for subjugating all women.

I didn't think blanket statements like this were intellectually honest then and I don't think so now. The professors were pretty stoked about the notion, though.

Silliness like this has nothing whatsoever to do with liberalism.

[Kali]

8. seems to get used as a stick

in a lot of situations, not just rightwingers. The concept, once institutionalized, loses its positive connotations. Forcing people to behave "ethically" or in a PC manner does NOT change the original negative viewpoints they may or may not hold.

[ldoolin]

12. Agree 100%

And another recent case in point is the Sierra Club election, where a lot of people bought the nonsense that Richard Lamm and David Pimentel are right-wingers or racists because they think immigration levels into the U.S. should be cut.

It seems to me that while the right wing likes to trot out accusations of political correctness to attack liberals, there really are some concrete examples of what they are talking about. Only, those concrete examples aren't real liberalism, they are examples of post-Sixties ultraleftism: Men are "penised people", ending "white male privilege" should guide all political actions, "all heterosexual sex is rape", calls to reduce immigration into the U.S. are "racist", "the Sierra Club was almost taken over by right-wingers waging a hostile takeover", we can stamp out sexism by spelling it "wimmin" or "womyn". All of these are ultraleftist hogwash and have nothing to do with liberalism, but they do give the right wing ammunition to tear us down with.

[Guaranteed]

4. What does the term have to do with anything?

It's the concept that's important.

[Guaranteed]

5. I don't understand your poll.

It doesn't make sense.

If you're saying they just made up a word with a "negative connotation" to go along with the liberal ideas, so what? The ideas remain the same, and they are judged on their own merits.

Or are you saying that they actually augmented the liberal idea somehow, and it's become something that was not originally intended?

[bryant69]

7. The Later.

Perhaps I would have been better served to state "the threat of political correctness . . ." In other words when people talk about political correctness tehy are talkinga bout a problem that they believe exists; but is that problem real?

[Viking12]

9. "Political Correctness" is a Condensation symbol

Through strategic manipulation and persistent association, the phrase has become shorthand for a set of ideas. In this case, "Political Correctness" has been created into a symbol of discrimination and repression (deservedly or not). All the negative connotatations of political discrimination ahve been condensed into this phrase. For an interesting exploration on condensation symbols, see the writings of Political Scientist, Murray Edelman (especially "Politics as Symbolic Action" & "Political Language")

[bryant69]

10. Thanks for the tip

I'll look him up.

Bryant

[ldoolin]

11. Voted: Neutral

Political correctness is a term and concept that originated in Maoism. Right wingers latched onto it sometime in the early 1990s to attack liberals but it ain't their puppy.

[yardwork]

13. Well, Maoism ain't this liberal's puppy either.

Liberalism does not equal communism or fascism, although many conservatives would like people to believe this.

The examples cited above of silly and repressive academic thinking are not examples of liberalism, either.

I've been exposed to attacks from extreme leftists, and I know that they can be just as vicious, backstabbing, and deceitful as the extreme right. It's not surprising to me that on occasion an individual will flop from one extreme to the other. Both realms are areas where critical thinking, tolerance, and open-minded dialogue are unwelcome.

Sadly, conservatives have managed to paint a lot of liberals with this ugly brush. I just knock the paint brush away when it gets close to me!

Liberal and Proud of It!