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    Lazy Llama

Political Correctness

Here's a selection of self-described anti-PC articles and sites. Can anyone see the common thread running through them?

This Daily Mail article about Kirklees Council
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-413775/Now-council-bans-use-political-correctness-work.html

Here is an example of how the anti-PCers apply their arguments: you're either with us or against us.
http://politicalcorrectness.com/home.html

Here is the Tory-led Anti-PC Campaign. Check out some of the comments that have been made by "visitors" to the site.
http://www.capc.co.uk/

Meanwhile The Anti-Political Correctness Society is quite proud to have an image of a Gollywog on its homepage. Presumably they're also behind a campaign to rehabilitate sitcoms like Love Thy Neighbour and Curry and Chips.
http://www.antipc.co.uk/
 
Originally Posted by Gmarthews
I'm currently reading a book on this subject called "The Retreat of Reason: Political Correctness and the Corruption of Public Debate in Modern Britain" (see here), it's about how political correctness and an almost luddite anti-logic/rationality attitude is dumbing down our society.
Click to expand...

Of course what you haven't explained is that this book is written by Anthony Browne (not to be confused with the author of children's books), who is the director of the Tory think tank Policy Exchange (David Cameron and his chums, Gove and Osborne are/were also members).

Oddly enough, someone like Browne would never admit to having his own version of PC - as the Right do but deny.

E2A: Policy Exchange recently published a pamphlet in which they said that Northerners should abandon the north and head south. That doesn't strike me as being realistic and it underscores the position of deep-seated anti-intellectualism that runs through much of Tory thinking.
 
I accept that it is difficult for anyone to be objective as they are usually distracted by their existing beliefs. So often people start with an agenda, and then selectively choose the evidence they present.

I knew this when I started to read the Browne book I described above.

I recognised that it was controversial, but I would still recommend it as a read because it makes some very good points. Sure maybe he goes a bit too far in some areas. As has been mentioned here being PC has brought tolerance into our society, and that has been a welcome relief to those who were suffering.

Still the same balance must be applied to both sides, and each case needs to be addressed on its own merits. Sometimes both sides react a bit too quickly where a bit of thought, study and change should have been considered first.

I am particularly concerned that the PC line should be marked as exempt from criticism, and that if one fails to toe the PC line you get ad hominem insults as I have had even here.

This is supposed to be a forum to explore a variety of issues, and it works well if everyone accepts that we are here to do this, rather than to lecture and pass judgment.
 
Gmarthews said:
I accept that it is difficult for anyone to be objective as they are usually distracted by their existing beliefs. So often people start with an agenda, and then selectively choose the evidence they present.

I knew this when I started to read the Browne book I described above.

I recognised that it was controversial, but I would still recommend it as a read because it makes some very good points. Sure maybe he goes a bit too far in some areas. As has been mentioned here being PC has brought tolerance into our society, and that has been a welcome relief to those who were suffering.

Still the same balance must be applied to both sides, and each case needs to be addressed on its own merits. Sometimes both sides react a bit too quickly where a bit of thought, study and change should have been considered first.

I am particularly concerned that the PC line should be marked as exempt from criticism, and that if one fails to toe the PC line you get ad hominem insults as I have had even here.

This is supposed to be a forum to explore a variety of issues, and it works well if everyone accepts that we are here to do this, rather than to lecture and pass judgment.
Click to expand...

Sorry, but what's your point caller?

Furthermore, where are these "ad hominem insults" that you refer to?

Browne's book isn't "controversial", it's reactionary and anti-intellectual. Perhaps you've not noticed the number of groups who all claim to be "anti-PC"? You seem a little reticent on the matter. Did you know anything about Browne or Policy Exchange before you read the book?

What do you think Political Correctness is? Do you regard it as acceptable to treat someone differently because of their ethnicity or gender?

Also, aren't you the one who got a hard on for Ayn Rand?
 
Gmarthews said:
I have long been in favour of the legalisation of this industry to bring more power to the workers and to enable better control of disease. (See this thread)
Click to expand...

Legalise whatever you like. Won't change the fact that there are women with no means of supporting themselves whatsoever- no right to work, no access to benefits etc- who are selling sex to survive. And, as a result of their marginal situations, have limited ability to assert that their "customers" use condoms or practice safe sex.
 
fela fan said:
I read that the government have banned the use of 'obese' in reports by teachers of children at school. They have to say instead 'over-weight'.
Click to expand...

Jesus god, no! You mean you've "read" that the PC fascists are even clamping down on the rights of teachers to make irrelevant personal comments about their pupils' appearance?

Truly, this is the straw that broke the camel's back!:mad:
 
Pigeon said:
Jesus god, no! You mean you've "read" that the PC fascists are even clamping down on the rights of teachers to make irrelevant personal comments about their pupils' appearance?

Truly, this is the straw that broke the camel's back!:mad:
Click to expand...

Jesus god yes. And i don't think that calling such comments as 'irrelevant' actually sums up the context correctly.

Political correctness is a method of banning language, apparently based on not affecting people's apparent sensitivities.

The problem with it is that the thinking behind such racist sexist comments does not disappear. So you get a shutdown of language attempted by the PC people, whoever they may be and they're often those with power, yet the desired outcome gets worse if anything.
 
butchersapron said:
Oh joy! Fela and matthews having a conversation about pc gone mad. My prayers have come true.
Click to expand...

It's absolutely amazing that some stranger half way across the world can have so much influence on your life butchers.

Are you having a problem with life at the minute?
 
fela fan said:
So you get a shutdown of language attempted by the PC people, whoever they may be and they're often those with power, yet the desired outcome gets worse if anything.
Click to expand...

Where is this attempted shutdown of language then? You're suggesting that racist and sexist discourse in mainstream culture is "banned" by "the PC people" are you? Seriously?
 
fela fan said:
Jesus god yes. And i don't think that calling such comments as 'irrelevant' actually sums up the context correctly.

Political correctness is a method of banning language, apparently based on not affecting people's apparent sensitivities.

The problem with it is that the thinking behind such racist sexist comments does not disappear. So you get a shutdown of language attempted by the PC people, whoever they may be and they're often those with power, yet the desired outcome gets worse if anything.
Click to expand...

Truth be told: the phrase "PC gone mad" is a discourse-killer as well as a concealer of discourses.
 
nino_savatte said:
Truth be told: the phrase "PC gone mad" is a discourse-killer as well as a concealer of discourses.
Click to expand...

Totally agreed mate. I still think orwell wrote the best stuff i've read about political language and how it shuts down thinking, both in the speaker and listener.

PC to me is political language.
 
Pigeon said:
Where is this attempted shutdown of language then? You're suggesting that racist and sexist discourse in mainstream culture is "banned" by "the PC people" are you? Seriously?
Click to expand...

No, i'm not suggesting that.

As for the attempted shutdown of language you talk of, it's going on all over the place, and if you can't see it, then there's fuck all i can do to point you in the right direction.
 
Pigeon said:
No? So enlighten me; when precisely did a child's physical appearance become a legitimate focus for a teacher's attention?
Click to expand...

I dunno mate. But that was the context of the story i read on bbc website news. Reports are made on all children with reference to their general health. Fat kids that could rightly be called obese were not allowed to be called that, and instead had to be called 'overweight'.

The reports were part of the service of all schools i guess.
 
fela fan said:
I dunno mate. But that was the context of the story i read on bbc website news. Reports are made on all children with reference to their general health. Fat kids that could rightly be called obese were not allowed to be called that, and instead had to be called 'overweight'.

The reports were part of the service of all schools i guess.
Click to expand...


I think as 'obese' is a clinical word and teachers aren't doctors and therefor not qualified to use the word wrt overwieght kids.
 
Nothing at all to demonstrate your thesis. Nothing at all to support it? No evidentiary basis. No examples. Nothing. nada zip?

Convincing i'm sure you will agree.
 
DotCommunist said:
I think as 'obese' is a clinical word and teachers aren't doctors and therefor not qualified to use the word wrt overwieght kids.
Click to expand...
The actual story rather than the fela version appears to have been that the DoH decided not to use the word "obese" as research had indicated that it was more likely to make parents think "my child's not obese! how dare they!" and alienate them over saying "very overweight", thus reducing the effectiveness of sending letters with health reports in the first place.

He said: "Research shows that most parents of overweight or obese children think that their child is a healthy weight.

"This move isn't about pointing the finger and telling parents that their children are overweight, instead it is about equipping parents with the information they need to help their children live healthier lives."
Click to expand...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7541279.stm

The language used is actually very important to consider with this sort of thing. Oh, and the connection with schools is that the data is gathered at school - the letters are sent out by PCTs, I don't believe the schools ever get the results at all.
 
"PC commissars" is my absolute favourite rightwing fantasy. I just love the idea of a PC Commissar dispatching a platoon of armed Bolsheviki to shut down a bakery for the counterrevolutionary crime of selling gingerbread men!
 
I read the other day that the cheka banned piggy banks so that the muslims wouldn't be offended. You couldn't make it up!
 
The Mensheviks had to go on that basis of course. I believe there was some debate as to whether they could be allowed to change their name to Personsheviks.
 
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