What does politically correct mean to you?

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But ALSO this.

Its a new secular kind of Puritanism if taken to excess.

It means being prohibited from saying anything that might make someone else feel the slightest bit uncomfortable, even if saying it is necessary to help them keep their job, improve their health, keep them out of jail, or increase their level of understanding.

"Political Correctness" is all about censorship, and nothing about being helpful and supportive.

This.

I sincerely believe that "Political Correctness is the most pervasive form of censorship". You're not allowed to speak your mind if you are wealthy, heterosexual, white, or a Christian. Yet you can freely speak your mind - and be applauded for it - only if you're poor, a minority, LGBTQ, an atheist, a feminist, or a political extremist of any sort.

Political Correctness it’s the worst kind of hypocrisy. People want complete freedom over their sex lives, over their personal lives, and over their use of drugs; yet they also want a "Mommy & Daddy State" that gives them all a safe place and protects them from the "insensitivity" of reality when it conflicts with their own idealist fantasies.

They want to protest against whatever infringes on their own self-expression, while simultaneously stifling the self-expression of others. It's the absolute double standard of "Free Speech for Me, and None for Thee".

"Political Correctness is Fascism Disguised as Manners" has to be the best observation ever made on the subject. "Political Correctness is Political Cowardice" has to rank a close second.

Replacing accurate descriptive language with muddled language due to a desire not to offend, for fear of bieng shamed or losing empoyment. exp ret*d with intellectualy disabled, manic-depression with bi-polar, n****r with the n-word, obsession with special interest.

PC is a deliberate strategy that has been implemented consciously to control language, which over time controls the herd mind.

PC first touches words but it's end goal is thoughts and therefore human WILL.

PC is a refined manifestation of power.

Political Correctness in two words:



There are some REALLY good ones in there. Lots of them. I'm sure there's something for everyone who takes issue with political correctness in there. "Expression suppression" is probably my favourite of the bunch. To add another one of my own not there, I'll go with "stunted growth".

The war on PC is a red herring.

PC is a nonsense word made up by nonsense people and the war on pc is a nonsense war that leads nowhere.

The Manic Street Preachers did a good song about political correctness, titled "P.C.P."

Too bad this remaster doesn't sound nearly as good as the original 1994 version. I knew a good video that had that version along with the lyrics, but they've blocked it here. >_<

Here are the lyrics, from Genius.com:
[Verse 1]
Teacher starve your child, P.C. approved
As long as the right words are used
Systemised atrocity ignored
As long as bi-lingual signs on view
Ten foot sign in Oxford Street
Be pure - be vigilant - behave
Grey not neon, grey not real
Life bleeds, death is your birthright

[Bridge]
P.C. she speaks impotent, sterile, naive, blind, atheist, sadist
Stiff-upper lip, first principle of her silence, of her silence

[Chorus]
P.C.P. - a P.C. police victory
P.C.P. - a P.C. Pyrrhic victory
When I was young P.C. meant Police Constable
Nowadays I can't seem to tell the difference

[Verse 2]
Liposuction for your bad mouth boy
Cut out your tongue, effigies are sold
Words discoloured, bow to the bland
Heal yourself with sinner's salt
Doctors arrested for euthanasia
Kill smokers through blind vanity
If you're fat don't get ill
Europe's gravestone carved in plastic

[Bridge]
P.C. she says inoculate, hallucinate, beware Shakespeare
Bring fresh air, king cigarette snuffed out by her midgets, by her midgets

[Chorus]

[Bridge]
P.C. caresses bigots and big brother, read Leviticus
Learnt censorship, pro-life equals anti-choice, to be scared of, of feathers

[Chorus]

[Outro]
Lawyers before love, surrogate sex
This land bows down to
Yours, unconditional love and hate
Pass the Prozac, designer amnesiac

[Sample]
"Two hundred and twenty-seven Lears, and I can't remember the first line."

This discussions seem to split between those that thin PC is a meaningless word or buzzword that carries very little weight and those that think it describe a form of speech control. There isn't an awful a lot of middle ground.

I find it perplexing how anyone can think it carries no meaning at all. I can understand that they might not think it as issue, or a form of expression itself, or perhaps used lazily.

I wonder if we are living in the same world.

For me I have seen the tactic of creating a regulatory taboo in order to attempt to restrict other narratives. If you never experienced that I wonder if we are living in the same world. It is going on in universities right now.

I don't particularly like political correctness. I do think it can shut down free speech in many cases.

I'm not sure that I'd call not using the "n-word" or other slurs political correctness. It's simply a matter of respect.

I think being forced to use certain terms all the time, and not being allowed to say things that may offend people can be harmful. Like the debate over what to call the intellectually disabled. Some say "mentally challenged" is best, others don't like that term. Then still others hate the term "intellectually disabled" because it sounds negative. So now many people use "differently-abled" instead. "Special" or "special needs" was the preferred term for awhile.

I think "differently-abled" is a pointless term. It could apply to anyone, because everyone has different abilities. So the term itself lacks any real meaning. Disabled means that a person lacks or is deficient in what is considered to be an essential ability that is the norm for our species, so why not call it what it is?

There are an awful lot of things that aren't politically correct to talk about, which often need to be talked about. I feel that if people dare to even speak about certain subjects, they must be walking on eggshells lest they be labeled "sexist", "racist", "bigoted" or "insensitive," even when those things aren't true.

It is a question of context. Sometimes people try to ban it in all contexts, or need extra qualifiers.

I suspect if you stop people using a word in public a good number won't even think to look the word up an learn about it.

Why is "black" more politically correct then "negro" when they have the same original meaning. One is is Germanic the other is Latin in origin, but. basically means the same thing.

Race is a separate thing from colour. Colour is only one characteristic, it is not the most important thing, and there is is no purity in genetics anyway. Even support groups for ethic minorities reinforce these stereotypes sometimes though an identity politics.

Yes the n-word is derivative, however it is that meaning that is attacked that makes powerful. The taboo doesn't help that.

I draw the line with identifying with the word. I think the owning the word doesn't always make sense, it can reinforce negative stereotypes. However talking about it frankly, goes long way to improving race relations.

I know what a "coolie" means. I wouldn't call someone a coolie, but I know the history of indenture labour.

Last edited by 0_equals_true on 27 Mar 2016, 6:31 am, edited 1 time in total.

With black people I know they often refer to the "black guy" or I can refer it, when identifying which person we saw.

Nobody ever says the "yellow guy". This is probably becuase yellow is often not very accurate descriptor except for jaundice, but black isn't often accurate for skin tone either. Chinese/East Asian makes more sense. However in the UK if you say Asian on its own you mean Pakistani/Indian/Bangladesh/Sri Lankar that sort of area, where a in US it more likely to be assassinated with far eastern region. Unless, of course more information is provided.

Personally I don't have a problem with saying black in the right context.

When people are really comfortable around each other discussing race is a non issue. Quite often, in my experience someone breaks the taboo first for this to happen. That tells you we are comfortable and we are part of the social group not matter what background.

Last edited by 0_equals_true on 27 Mar 2016, 7:02 am, edited 1 time in total.

It is a term that relates to power dynamics, and as such has its uses, but is open to abuse.

Oh of course, which is of inverted political correctness if used as a tactic.

If people are doing something to try an limit another narrative, then it is political correctness in my view, regardless of whether it fits the stereotype of what we expect of political correctness.

For me in a about opportunity, not trouncing those that are associated with an stereotype. Trouncing those that uphold the stereotype fair game.