PC - More harm than Good?

[Loosehead]

http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-1207634,00.html

Anyone else think the PC culture has gone too far?

[don1]

PC had gone way too far fifteen years ago never mind today, I agree with Mr Browne 100%

[WaldoMcFroog]

Is the right wing think tank Civitas a balanced source?

A quick google reveals that they are anti-multiculturalism, anti the BBC, anti-immigration, pro-laissez faire capitalism etc i.e. their views on 'PC' are about as surprising as finding bear excrement in the local forest.

Personally, I thought their examples of PC thinking very black and white (no pun intended) and I don't know anyone who would think in such a one dimensional and frankly, bordering on the hysterical, way.

[jno]

ah yes, the reason women are paid less is that they take lower-paying jobs! The truth at last!

[littleoldme]

The biggest worry to me is that because PC does sometimes go too far and invites ridicule, it gives more credence to those who hold bigotted views. If you are publicly seen to lampoon the ridiculous, people will start to listen to you, no matter how preposterous or, worse still, dangerous your own views. What's needed is a happy medium.

[boobesque]

yes jno, and we have kids, i worked the same hours and had the same experience as a male collegue and we did the exact same job and i got �1500 a year less! now i know why

but yes, pc has gone crazy, sometimes it makes merather mad!

[LazyGun]

Having looked at civitas' site myself, I think I would agree with Waldo here. They hardly appear to be an objective, independant think tank ;)

As to whether or not PC has gone too far... I dont think it is PC thats at fault really... more peoples interpretation of what PC is that is skewed.

[GruntFuttock]

Waldo-I'm intrigued-what exactly do you mean by a ''balanced source''? Would this be a source whose opinions concur with yours?

[jake-the-peg]

Might I suggest Sourcewatch for evaluating the "balance" of think-tanks:

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Civitas

Civitas claim they are unbiased - their director is an ex Labour councillor - but they were until 2000 the Health and welfare unit of the Institute of Economic affairs.

This is quite a Thatcher-ite group whose role is to promote free market ideals to pretty much anybody who'll listen.

So while they're politically independant they do have a very definite axe to grind

[WaldoMcFroog]

GruntF- I am totally balanced (chip on each shoulder), so yes! ;-)

I wouldn't cast myself as some sort of equally left wing person, so I'm not advocating some sort of 'Ban Christmas', 'Minorities are more equal than the rest', 'Oppress the Moral Majority' type in the first place. What I am saying is that they start off from a skewed position and have simply produced a piece of work which reinforces their own beliefs.

What, for example, is their conclusion that PC attitudes have created '"Muslim ghettoes" which have produced young terrorists', supposed to mean? Does that seriously mean that not descriminating against people on the grounds of their gender or race or sexuality has somehow forced muslims to band together and use violent methods? What would such people be trying to achieve?

'Hey - we want less of these equal opportunities, so we're going to set of bombs against civilian targets. We much preferred it when we didn't get jobs because of our religion or ethnicity.' Sorry??? What???

I'm with littleoldme on this one.

[jno]

boobesque, you must expect to pay for the privilege of taking ovaries to the office, I'm afraid! Seriously, the notion of equal pay for equal work for women is a classic instance of political correctness - which is why I'm all in favour of it. Equal treatment of women, Muslims, lesbians, gypsies, amputees or whoever is fine by me.

[jake-the-peg]

Incidently the founder of the institute of Economic affairs was Ralph Harris ex director of the Times who has written numerous attacks against the welfare state, blaming the poor for having little money and a 1971 volume "down with the poor"

Margaret Thatcher made him a Lord in 1979

Apparently a common toast at the IEA is "Down with the public interest"

Nice!

[Gef]

Where is the question?

[Loosehead]

Just prior to the question mark!

[bernardo]

The thing which has gone too far is "Political correctness gone mad". The thing which is good is "Political correctness".
PC means that it is not acceptable to refer to black / Asian / gay people as n----r / P--i / qu--r.

[kempie]

...unless you are a member of the groups in question, in which case use of those (un-PC) words towards your peers is perfectly acceptable.

[sp1814]

Bernardo

What you posted make you a hero in my eyes. Thank you. (Seriously).

As a member of two different minorities, I would say that we should drop the term 'PC' and in it's place use the phrases, 'politeness' and 'consideration'.

That would make sense wouldn't it?

[qapmoc]

Hi sp1814, well yes, but I seriously doubt that many of the younger generations can spell ''politeness'' and ''consideration'' let alone understand what they mean in social terms.

[sp1814]

qapmoc

Oh dear - I think you're going to get blasted for that one (but I quietly agree with you).