AikiWeb Aikido Forums - View Single Post - On Civility, Political Correctness, Honesty, and Frankness

lbb · 01-31-2012, 02:19 PM

Marc:

The reference to Radio Mille Collines may be a little obscure for the average North American. Of those who know what they did, not many dispute their role in the Rwandan genocide, which did not only include inciting others to kill, but specific targeting, telling mobs where to find victims, many of whom died as a result. The RTLM leaders are in prison today for their role in the genocide. There is ample documentation of their trials. For that matter, in re: your reference to Nazi Germany, surely you are aware that hate speech as well as actions was prosecuted in the Nuremburg trials.

But I can tell I'm not getting through this way, so let me try another way. My point was a very simple one: the term "politically correct" has been so often misused as a tactic to shout down anyone who wants to raise the issue of civility (or lack thereof), and so transparently used as a fig leaf for those who hate being asked to be civil towards groups that they used to disparage without consequence, that it is a poor choice for someone who claims to value civility. You might want to consider who uses the term "PC" or "politically correct" most often, how they use it, what they mean by it, who they're aiming at it, and what their goals are. In my experience, far from being brave and independent free-speech warriors, those who complain about "political correctness" are most often bravely (from behind a screen) defending their right (?) to use the n-word or the f-word or to call women bitches or hos or use some other slur directed at some other historically stigmatized group. It is a deeply tainted term, and you can't use it in a manner that isn't stained with those associations. In a discussion on aikiweb, if what you mean to say is "orthodoxy" or "conformity" or some other word, then use that word. Use the whole language, that's what it's there for. But you keep saying "political correctness", and because of the way others have used it, all I can say is: "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

01-31-2012, 02:19 PM	#14
lbb Location: Massachusetts Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 3,202 Offline	Re: On Civility, Political Correctness, Honesty, and Frankness Marc: The reference to Radio Mille Collines may be a little obscure for the average North American. Of those who know what they did, not many dispute their role in the Rwandan genocide, which did not only include inciting others to kill, but specific targeting, telling mobs where to find victims, many of whom died as a result. The RTLM leaders are in prison today for their role in the genocide. There is ample documentation of their trials. For that matter, in re: your reference to Nazi Germany, surely you are aware that hate speech as well as actions was prosecuted in the Nuremburg trials. But I can tell I'm not getting through this way, so let me try another way. My point was a very simple one: the term "politically correct" has been so often misused as a tactic to shout down anyone who wants to raise the issue of civility (or lack thereof), and so transparently used as a fig leaf for those who hate being asked to be civil towards groups that they used to disparage without consequence, that it is a poor choice for someone who claims to value civility. You might want to consider who uses the term "PC" or "politically correct" most often, how they use it, what they mean by it, who they're aiming at it, and what their goals are. In my experience, far from being brave and independent free-speech warriors, those who complain about "political correctness" are most often bravely (from behind a screen) defending their right (?) to use the n-word or the f-word or to call women bitches or hos or use some other slur directed at some other historically stigmatized group. It is a deeply tainted term, and you can't use it in a manner that isn't stained with those associations. In a discussion on aikiweb, if what you mean to say is "orthodoxy" or "conformity" or some other word, then use that word. Use the whole language, that's what it's there for. But you keep saying "political correctness", and because of the way others have used it, all I can say is: "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."