What do you understand politically correct/ pc as being?

[ruby27]

a term used to describe language or behavior that is intended, to provide minimum of offense

the prevention of freedom of speech, general lack of humor and allowance to criticise others

a straw man invented by the Right to discredit what they consider is unhealthy/unwarrented social change, especially around issues of race, gender and disability.

[dot.hawkes]

It is a PC that when a little oink drags the wing mirror off your car at 3am, visits your home address when you are at work. Rings your mobile anonymously so that you don't answer it and then drops a business card off on a Friday morning saying to ring them at the station, but when you do the bird on the desk says he is on leave and won't be back for 10 days but she will give you a crime number and when you explain for the 15th time about the toe rag and the wingmirror you lose the will to live and decide to buy a new mirror and park elsewhere.

[ludwig]

It's a wide spectrum of things which include all of the descriptions you've given.
It's a mistake to think it's all good or all bad. Do you think it's all good?

[naomi24]

I understand the term Political Correctness to mean absolute nonsense. The PC Brigade may encourage legislation against freedom of speech, but no matter how hard they try, they will never control freedom of thought.

[jake-the-peg]

c.

[ruby27]

Like you I think it is all three

That the original intention of trying to avoid giving offense is what should be aimed for, but.

I think it has been hijacked by the right wing so it is now used as a pejorative term to discredit anyone who dares to have a different view. In the media those who are pc are depicted as some sort of loony lefties who are totally out of touch with the real world and would rather save a terrorist than insult someone.
On AB this is demonstrated when someone questions a viewpoint such as the death of paedophiles, because they haven't concurred they are accused of either complicity or even active involvement.
Criticising those who are allegedly pc also fosters a feeling the the un pc are being attacked, thier rights, their (in this case britishness) their way of life. A Marxist analysis would be that whilst the proletariat are busy squabbling amongst themselves they are not capable of being a unifying force to enable radical social, political and economic change to occur

[WaldoMcFroog]

The comedian Stewart Lee discussed PC on a recent episode of Heresy (It was ep 1 of season 4). Sadly, I don't have the time to transcribe what he said, but I would sincerely suggest people try and locate a copy of the show and have a listen, because it was simply the most erudite and elegant defence of PC you could wish for. It's on torrent sites.

He additionally made the entirely sensible point that half of what knee-jerking Mail reading nupties flag up as 'PC gone mad' is 'Health and Safety gone mad', and not connected to PC whatsoever.

Given Mr Lee is widely claimed as arguably the best stand up comedian in the country today, it also rather puts the lie to the notions that PC is a something for the humourless.

[ludwig]

Ruby, I don't think it should be about providing minimum offence.
That's one of the reasons it's become so ridiculous and hated by so many, and we have talk of Christmas, the English flag, hot cross buns being banned and knighthoods being revoked.
There is always someone somewhere who is going to be offended by something you are doing. It's pointless and counter productive to constantly be trying to appease 'the offended' . Nobody has a god-given right to go through life without ever being offended.
What it should be about is treating people with respect, which is a different thing.

[Leilapups]

ludwig
I agree that the issue should be respect not prevention of offence. If you respect someone and thier right to a belief you can still disagree with thier beliefs without being disrespecful or taking a position of superiority. I think its fine to disagree but is the way that it is done that isn't always acceptable. For example the issue of immigration - people can think this is a great thing to thinking it is the most awful thing that is happening in the country, but that doesn't mean that having a differnt point of view means you have to call each other names.