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Has Political Correctness Gone Mad?

CFC

CFC

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I know most people here live in the US, so I doubt you saw this documentary broadcast on UK Channel 4:

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/has-political-correctness-gone-mad

I think it's worth watching if you're able to. Some interesting discussion, particularly about the stifling nature of debate in much of the public arena in the West, and the taboo at discussing what seem to most people as perfectly legitimate issues (about minorities, political, religious and racial attitudes). For example the various university campus bans on people wearing Sombreros, or dressing up as Pocahontas, and so on.
 
Political correctness is like teaching puppies through only negative emotions. It just doesn't work.

Besides I want to tell racist people to be more aware of their mental disorder and not be so socially retarded. Despite that being accurate it falls in the not PC category because people don't know what retardation actually means and few are ready to commit racism to a mental disorder.
 
It has gotten out of control, and its costing the democrats big time and they dont even realize it. Some PC is ok, but when its more important that creating jobs and everything else to dems and is the ONLY thing that the liberal media reports on....you end up with donald trump
 
LucidSDreamr said:
It has gotten out of control [....] you end up with donald trump
Click to expand...

I think this is one of the arguments Trevor Phillips is trying to get across. You don't stop people thinking what they're thinking just by banning its discussion. We need to be able to have a mature, open, frank debate about issues like terrorism, racism, or the integration of asylum seekers/immigrants into existing societies, and how those with opposing values and backgrounds can honestly work together. And if they can't, then what?

If people aren't allowed to have these discussions without fear of reproach for mentioning hot-button PC topics, you won't convince anyone that their fears or concerns are going to be acknowledged or addressed. They will feel disenfranchised, and so they'll look for some means to register their concern and vote against the imposed consensus, even if that option isn't really what they want.
 
i think there are people on the 'left' who take it to extremes and make it easy to disregard and i also have a problem with that because it means that those who lean 'right', when a real issue that deserves discussion comes along, simply label it as 'political correctness gone mad' to avoid discussing the issue on its merits.

alasdair
 
Trump demanded his safe space because the Hamilton cast hurt Pence's feelings. Boo fucking hoo.


The right does it just as much as the left. Get over it pussies.
 
CFC said:
I think this is one of the arguments Trevor Phillips is trying to get across. You don't stop people thinking what they're thinking just by banning its discussion. We need to be able to have a mature, open, frank debate about issues like terrorism, racism, or the integration of asylum seekers/immigrants into existing societies, and how those with opposing values and backgrounds can honestly work together. And if they can't, then what?

If people aren't allowed to have these discussions without fear of reproach for mentioning hot-button PC topics, you won't convince anyone that their fears or concerns are going to be acknowledged or addressed. They will feel disenfranchised, and so they'll look for some means to register their concern and vote against the imposed consensus, even if that option isn't really what they want.
Click to expand...

i respect your thoughts on this, but i have serious doubts that most of humanity is even capable of rationally discussing topics like terrorism, racism and immigration without letting the worst of themselves taint the dialogue.
 
Most of the people who care have never set foot on a university campus because they aren't smart enough. I don't understand why they care what happens at schools they will never attend? University was like that when I went in the mid 90's, you just laughed at the fat ugly feminists and the loser commies and got your degree. It had so little effect on student's day to day life that I don't understand how anyone could care. The only way it effected me was the student fees that supported these groups I had to pay, but my fees paid for the Jesus group too.
How did those people and their silliness actually cost democrats an election? That's like me not voting conservative because of the KKK. It should have been recognized that triggered safe space kids was it was a huge issue to white trash middle America and been addressed.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news...d-phantom-enemy-donald-trump?CMP=share_btn_tw
 
alasdairm said:
i think there are people on the 'left' who take it to extremes and make it easy to disregard and i also have a problem with that because it means that those who lean 'right', when a real issue that deserves discussion comes along, simply label it as 'political correctness gone mad' to avoid discussing the issue on its merits.

alasdair
Click to expand...

Just don't call them fascists ;)

PC-ness frustrates me. I feel like it prevents us from looking at the truth of issues. It restricts us. But, I think some forms of PC thought control have diminshed, particularly those relating to sex. Words like "fuck" and "cunt" certainly used to be more offensive than the word "nigger", but that has changed significantly. I think society has relaxed some of its moral proscriptions and introduced other ones. Its quite interesting to watch the evolution of language in this context, but I fear it dilutes the aims of the left, it creates a legitimate and easy target for conservatives to correctly denigrate.

Really, being offended is not a big deal though. I'd rather be offended than be lied to, I would rather offend than lie.
 
My mother once said, "Some people will complain that they have a hole in their bum" and I believe the same can be said about being offended. You can never please every one, there will always be a group of people who hate what you love.

I'd prefer a bigot was allowed to open their mouth and remove all doubt as to their thoughts and feelings. If something offends you, either a word or action, make it known that you are offended. The beauty of being in a democracy is weight of numbers will dictate how society evolves. However you also have to accept when your opinion may be at odds with the majority, and learn to sometimes move on with your life rather than throw a pity party.
 
I'm an immigrant living in Australia. I've long accepted that Australians for the most part are sweet welcoming people who love to take the piss out of themselves just as much as they do their friends. It's probably that strong English bred sarcasm that Americans in particular are not very adept with

However if they get rid of the race discrimination act they may as well get rid of the sexual discrimination act too, which is obviously a step back to a less civilised time. All men are created equal, but that does not mean all men are equal, you dig?
 
The controversy over 18c isn't about repealing the entire act, just that sub section. I'm inclined to feel that its not up to the government to protect peoples feelings.

I would be opposed to removing the entire act though.

18c could make an interesting thread...
 
Australia doesn't have the same litigious culture as America, yet. There is a lot more commonsense applied to the legal system. Australian court judges are still respected and veted to insure they don't have the same level of corruption or crazy that America does. What this usually means is fewer cases bought to court for people with minor butthurt complaints for frivolous hurt feelings. For the most part 18c is applied using the good intentions that it was created to protect, while still giving society the freedom to live their lives without fear of incarceration or being sued for liable.

Freedom of speech does not have to be written down because Australian society does not waste it's time arguing about stupid shit. They are more aligned with Bill and Teds ethos of being good to each other rather than Americas Might is right mentality
 
One Thousand Words said:
However if they get rid of the race discrimination act they may as well get rid of the sexual discrimination act too, which is obviously a step back to a less civilised time. All men are created equal, but that does not mean all men are equal, you dig?
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Agreed. I'm not particularly interested in "equality".
Equity, on the other hand, i believe we should strive for.

Willow, as i understand it the racial vilification act is not about inhibiting "free speech".
It's about mandating against abusive speech based upon a particular set of cultural criteria.

Going back to OTW's analogy with the sex discrimination act - should sexual harassment be protected under free speech?
Or the old 'yelling "fire" in a crowded theatre'?

I don't understand why people take "political correctness" personally. It was just an attempt people make to address some of the shortcomings in language that needed to develop to keep up with our social evolution.
Yes, it's clumsy and ridiculous sometimes, but that's humanity for you. Deeply flawed and sometimes shit, but often with the best intentions.

I think "cultural appropriation" is generally a total load of shit, but at the same time i think cultural sensitivity, decency and respect are important qualities that all good people have, to some degree.

It's a shame when things get ridiculous because people feel the need to attempt to legislate change in our behaviours...but on the other hand, i think a lot of people miss the point that university campuses have always been breeding grounds for new ideas and ways of being.
It's essentially experimental (and very often completely unimportant) if someone wants to get overzealous about some apparent imposition onto someone's "rights" or "dignity" in... the wearing of a sombrero?
It's funny to me how offended some people are by the naivity displayed by well-meaning liberals or whatever.
Some of the excesses of "political correctness" might ridiculous, but rarely seems to cause too much harm.

I mean, compared to the vitriol i hear from the anti-pc brigade...i know which student keg and bucket bong parties i'd be going to. :D

Sometimes i'm not sure what to believe with all this stuff, but being respectful really isn't that hard.
On the other hand, i have no problem with people trying to affect positive social change if they have good intentions, no matter how misguided their attempts to implement them may be.
 
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