2 replies to this topic

[Lord Draculea]

http://www.contribut...iteaza-romania/

I'm posting this in the context of the assertion made in another topic that the "political correctness" could not possibly harm the freedom of speech. Well, apparently it can.

According to the project initiated by Dragnea, social defamation represents the act or the statement through which a person is put in a position of inferiority because he belongs to a group of people “who can be socially distinguished through one or more features related to gender, age, race, religion, ethnic origin, native language, cultural traditions, political affiliation, sexual orientation, social origin, disability, non-contagious disease, or HIV/AIDS infection." [1]

What's really happening is that, under the pretext of good & noble intentions, an Orwellian law is in the process of being passed by the Romanian social democrat majority, whose Prime Minister Ponta has been for years accused (with solid evidence, in my view) of plagiarism in his doctoral thesis. As an effect of the new law, such accusations could be legally incriminated from now on, on the ground of attacking "cultural traditions", or "political affiliation".

What you'd probably think now is that such things could not happen in a more advanced democracy. Well, not in that rough form (which is indeed specific to a more primitive political climate than yours). Which doesn't mean you'd be right, or that you're safe from more subtle attempts or forms of impairing free speech and a honest endeavor of truth, in the name of a "politically correct" agenda.

[ᗅᗺᗷᗅ]

Right, but those are laws. No one is talking about passing laws requiring Americans to use politically correct terminology. Political correctness is not intended to limit what you can say, only what you should say. It represents the social values and mores of the now-dominant socio-political culture of the United States, and in that sense it wields enormous influence. But it is not a matter of law.

 

Look at it this way: It is not illegal to use the word "nigger" (unless you are using it in the course of a verbal/physical assault, but that would be a hate crime and not really what I'm talking about). Once upon a time, "nigger" was the actual word in common usage to refer to black people. Now it is considered highly offensive, and would never be used in polite company. That wasn't because of laws, it was because of a change in the culture.

 

The one that always gets me is the word "midget." Apparently, "midget" is no longer the accepted term for people with hereditary conditions that leave them unusually short in stature. In fact, it is considered offensive by that community (the correct term is "dwarf," I am informed). Why? I don't know. But it doesn't matter, because I'm not a member of that community. If they consider it offensive, that's good enough for me. So I don't use it. No big deal.

 

Now, can this be taken too far? ABSOLUTELY. Take the "Merry Christmas" thing. I consider that to be asinine. Entirely apart from the fact that what we now call "Christmas" has been a holiday since long before there was a Christ, the modern holiday has been appropriated by the culture at large and is largely separated from its original religious meaning. I am an atheist, but I celebrate Christmas. When someone wishes me "Merry Christmas" I don't take it as a personal affront, I take as it is intended: as a friendly expression of the warmth and good will the season is supposed to represent. Neither do I make any special efforts to say "Happy Holidays" or some other vague seasonal pleasantry. I generally just repeat whatever has been said to me. If someone wishes me a merry Christmas I wish them a merry Christmas right back, if they say "Happy Holidays" that's what I say too. (I don't usually initiate such interactions, so I honestly don't know what I'd say without prompting, but probably "Merry Christmas.")

Gah, this is getting long and ranty. Bottom line: At its most benign, political correctness is nothing but politeness. At its worst it is a way for one group to vilify another. Words matter. How we describe a thing influences how we think of it. As a lifelong fan of language, I am in favor of anything that makes us choose our words more thoughtfully.

[Lord Draculea]

No one is talking about passing laws requiring Americans to use politically correct terminology.

 

Not YET anyway. Apart from that, I happen to agree with most that you said.