If political correctness is understood as the need to avoid comments which offend, exclude or marginalise groups within society, or to depart from a prejudiced viewpoint of these collectives, then I am strongly in favour. However, when political correction is taken too far, it can become inquisitorial leading to the exclusion or marginalisation of viewpoints that do not fit into the PC consensus. When this occurs it becomes highly pernicious, as it closes windows of debate and, by doing so, can actually harm the collectives that it sets out to protect.
I agree with your views, but sometimes it is very difficult to separate diplomacy from other politically oriented motivations.
Dennis
Dennis Mazur
Hi Dennis,
I agree that there may sometimes be ulterior political motives behind political correctness. In some cases, politicians and spin doctors can help to create a politically correct consensus because it fits their hidden agenda. In other cases, they exploit or hide behind an existing PC position that justifies the policies that they implant or their inaction regarding a particular social problem. However, there are many other occasions where the fear of being branded politically incorrect prevents politicians and other social actors from proposing solutions to problems.
The problem is that political correction only silences people who may have a useful contribution to make to highly relevant social issues, such as globalization, the integration of immigrants or the connections between religious fanaticism and terrorism. It does not silence the madmen or the manipulators, the Trumps, Farages and Le Pens of this world, who, by offering simplistic solutions to complex problems, connect far better with the fears and prejudices of an important cross-section of society than politicans who refuse to engage with such issues. The best antidote to political extremism comes from those who are prepared to enter into debate with populist politicians regarding the issues that they raise, not from those who avoid tackling such issues because they do not wish to be labelled as politically incorrect.
"Sincere" is a subjective intention. Political correctness only looks at the outward form of conduct. I think we should do what the criminal law does, look for "criminal intent" as well as words etc. - and be more cosmopolitan in what we take offence at.
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