Political correctness turning people to the far-right?

[spartan]

It is my opinion that political correctness is turning more and more people to far-right politics and mindsets.

I see it on forums I go on which are infested with people with far-right views. What I see from them is not racism or sexism for it's own sake, but hatred of a society that has seemingly gone insane when it comes to stuff like this.

Indeed making things like not openly talking about politically incorrect issues such as race and gender and people's roles in society unpopular has the opposite effect and makes people want to embrace these things as they are the opposite ideals of what they hate so much; political correctness.

Isn't that called reverse psychology or something? Except in this case it isn't to persuade people into these politically incorrect mindsets, but is an unintended result of their politically correct society stifling open debate.

Political correctness is building frustration and resentment amongst alot of people in our society and is probably helping the rise of far-right parties.

What do we as leftists do with this situation?

The politically correct view that you shouldn't hurt someone because of their race or sex is a positive one, but when it means that debate about these things aren't welcome in wider society the consequence is that it leads to politically incorrect views becoming prevalent amongst those who are sick and tired of political correctness.

EDIT: When I say debating about issues of race and sex I am personally not advocating such a thing I am merely using it as an example (just to clear any potential confusion).

[trivas7]

Personally, I ignore anything labeled PC as the jargon-du-jour; nothing is more transient than contemporary fashion.

[jake williams]

There's some possibility, but I doubt there's much of an affect. There is some terminological annoyance, sure. Further the notion of restricting conversation in the meaningful sense is a real concern that we have to be wary about.

But I think a lot of these right wing people you're talking about are just angry white males who when they go on about things having "gone too far" are less concerned about words and more concerned about actual meaningful equality for women and non-white people. It's too bad if they don't like it.

[RHIZOMES]

I disagree. I would say it's people who are already racist who are mad about how they can't say racist things.

[Mindtoaster]

I disagree. I would say it's people who are already racist who are mad about how they can't say racist things.

QFT

I do think political correctness can be a bit silly at times, but most the people I know who really get worked up about it are already racists themselves.

[jake williams]

QFT

I do think political correctness can be a bit silly at times, but most the people I know who really get worked up about it are already racists themselves.

Thirded.

[Conquer or Die]

I've heard two people in person use "PC" (one of them was a post far left african studies major, the other was a professor of English who declared himself a Berkeley liberal) as a way to emphasize their disgust (though it was minute) at certain facets of society. I guess in liberal academia they might feel pressured to conform to certain tenets they don't agree with. There is a movie called P.C.U. which mocks this behavior as uptight.

In my opinion the term was manufactured to stifle criticism against intolerance . I believe it was Jesus who said that kindness was the root of all evil, after all.

[Lector Malibu]

I disagree. I would say it's people who are already racist who are mad about how they can't say racist things.

This.

[communard resolution]

It is my opinion that political correctness is turning more and more people to far-right politics and mindsets.

To my experience, most people who claim they're against 'political correctness' and for free debate are people who are right-wing to begin with. It's a vacuous term they use to discredit everything that's to the left of them. It's in fact them who try to silence dissenters by calling their views 'politically correct'. Have you not noticed that pretty much anything that isn't right-wing is called 'politically correct' these days?

Having said that, some people who are really fairly apolitical or just not that sussed out fall for that too. I suppose it's because 'politically correct' has such a totalitarian, conformist ring to it. Once you've accepted that leftist is synonymous with 'politically correct', it's easy to imagine yourself as a rebel against some non-existent leftist status quo: even if the majority of society is far from being leftist, in your mind YOU are the one who's nonconformist because you are "incorrect".

The power is in the word itself - there's really nothing more to it.

It's a nasty strategy of the right, and a fairly successful one at that. I've been thinking for a while that there is really only one way we can change that: we should turn tables and start calling conservatives 'politically correct'.

I know a guy who used to think of me as 'politically correct' for being a leftist. He is not far-right or a Nazi, but a flag-waving, let's-curb-immigration, pro-capitalist, patriotic type. He too used to imagine himself as a rebel against 'political correctness' and took great pleasure in making statements that he imagined would 'offend' my leftist sensibilities. So I responded by insulting the flag, insulting the nation, etc. I also told him that the day the revolution comes, I would take a bus to the suburbs to personally slice his rich parents' throats and put the rest of his family on a train to Siberia. When he got upset, I asked him: "What's the problem, does your right-wing political correctness not allow me to express my views?"

Doesn't hurt to sometimes go over the top a bit while having a sense of humour about it.

As for the far right, I genuinely think it takes more than just perceived 'political correctness' to actually turn people to the far right.

Indeed making things like not openly talking about politically incorrect issues such as race and gender and people's roles in society unpopular

I don't really see how debate is stifled by the left. Race? There are several threads on here dedicated to this issue, and it's discussed in detail, from many different perspectives - and not everybody holds the same opinion. Gender? Likewise. I think it's key to show those opposed to 'political correctness' that we are not a bunch of nice, sensitive, easily offended liberals who encourage conformism. Again, I think it's a good thing to have a sense of humour.

What do you personally think are the taboos, or issues that we aren't supposed to talk about?

The only instances in which I personally see debate being stifled by leftists are those cases in which we throw 'isms' at people to shut them up and 'win' the debate. Happens a lot on revleft too. So, instead of actually discussing someone's view, many find it easier to simply label that opinion 'reactionary', 'fascist', 'bourgeois', 'reductionist', 'liberal', 'sexist', etc without further explanation. I've been called a 'Fascist' in one thread, for reasons that are too ridiculous to mention.

This approach will obviously not help anyone understand your point of view - aside from shutting them up it will merely make them feel inadequate, and possibly give them the impression that they're not entitled to their opinion.

I say: more actual discussion, less labels.

[Mr. Money Bags]

Freedom of speech shouldn't be sacrificed for the sake of a few tender souls. The truth is often hurtful. But that is no reason to disregard it. Only by acknowledging the truth can social issues be dealt with effectively.

I believe that among the politically correct there are some with sinister intentions. Think about the removal of christmas decorations for example. I've yet to hear a single ethnic say that christmas decorations offend them and yet they are being taken down. This can only be construed as an attack on western culture.

I saw an article from an English news site that wrote of Britain's plan to take sniffer dogs out of airports because they offend Muslims. So basically, Britain is leaving itself vulnerable because they don't want to offend the very people who are most likely to blow them up! Oh, the irony.

So, to wrap things up, political correctness is lunacy, it prevents us from contamplating the use of many viable solutions to problems that arise, and the sooner we fuck it off the better.

[Bud Struggle]

I disagree. I would say it's people who are already racist who are mad about how they can't say racist things.

No doubt. But is it better to know who these people are and know what they are thinking or is it better to drive them underground? That's the good thing about sites like Stormfront--these people can get their issues out in the open, as absurd as they are and if you care to visit their site--you see how really pathetic they are. Nothing wrong with that.

But further: the problem with political correctness is not that it stops racist and similar comments--it's that it stifels debate on the best way to solve actual problems in society. The "leftests" have their particular PC solutions to societial issues and any other solution no matter if it works or doesn't work won't even be considered.

Besides, free speech is more important than people's feeling, it is one of the founding principals of a free and open society.

PC makes for a very "1984" world.

[apathy maybe]

What is "political correctness"?

It is a means of communication that does not involve insulting dis-empowered groups (among other things).

Take an of example:
All niggers are thieves.

This case is obviously not "politically correct", it is obviously insulting and to use such language is to insult "black" people.

Or maybe, we could talk about "faggots", "spics", or that fact that you are such a "jew" and don't "gyp" me...

Basically, there is a dreadful misunderstanding of what "political correctness" actually is in this thread, especially in the original post.

Of course, a sustained effort by the right wing is partially responsible for this misunderstanding.

To quote Wikipedia:

Political correctness (adjectivally, politically correct; both forms commonly abbreviated to PC) is a term used to describe language, ideas, policies, or behavior seen as seeking to minimize offense to gender, racial, cultural, disabled, aged or other identity groups. Conversely, the term "politically incorrect" is used to refer to language or ideas that may cause offense or that are unconstrained by orthodoxy.

(My bold.)
(It used to be the case that the Wikipedia article was a cesspit of crap, and it was the first article that I ever got my hands dirty on, trying to remove the right-wing crap. I haven't read the entire article, so it may still include crap, but at least the introduction isn't too bad.)

So yeah, fuck off with ignorance! (And define your fucking terms before you start threads, at least in your own fucking mind! If you don't know what something means, look it up before you post.)

[apathy maybe]

Freedom of speech shouldn't be sacrificed for the sake of a few tender souls. The truth is often hurtful. But that is no reason to disregard it. Only by acknowledging the truth can social issues be dealt with effectively.

I believe that among the politically correct there are some with sinister intentions. Think about the removal of christmas decorations for example. I've yet to hear a single ethnic say that christmas decorations offend them and yet they are being taken down. This can only be construed as an attack on western culture.

I saw an article from an English news site that wrote of Britain's plan to take sniffer dogs out of airports because they offend Muslims. So basically, Britain is leaving itself vulnerable because they don't want to offend the very people who are most likely to blow them up! Oh, the irony.

So, to wrap things up, political correctness is lunacy, it prevents us from contamplating the use of many viable solutions to problems that arise, and the sooner we fuck it off the better.

Says the white, heterosexual, probably christian, probably not poor, male. You probably have never been discriminated against in your life you fucking wanker. Fuck off with you.

(And are you by chance a former member? Perhaps one that got banned?)

[pusher robot]

What is "political correctness"?

It is a means of communication that does not involve insulting dis-empowered groups (among other things).

Take an of example:
All niggers are thieves.

This case is obviously not "politically correct", it is obviously insulting and to use such language is to insult "black" people.

Or maybe, we could talk about "faggots", "spics", or that fact that you are such a "jew" and don't "gyp" me...

Basically, there is a dreadful misunderstanding of what "political correctness" actually is in this thread, especially in the original post.

Of course, a sustained effort by the right wing is partially responsible for this misunderstanding.

To quote Wikipedia:

(My bold.)
(It used to be the case that the Wikipedia article was a cesspit of crap, and it was the first article that I ever got my hands dirty on, trying to remove the right-wing crap. I haven't read the entire article, so it may still include crap, but at least the introduction isn't too bad.)

So yeah, fuck off with ignorance! (And define your fucking terms before you start threads, at least in your own fucking mind! If you don't know what something means, look it up before you post.)

AM, you need to accept the fact that word definitions are 100% socially constructed. Which means, if most people think a term means a certain thing, then that is in fact what the term means, even if you personally wish it were otherwise.

[RGacky3]

In the United States political correctness is more of a Media thing, its like busting celebrities for cheating, they catch them saying nigger, or making a racist joke or something and blow it up out of preportion.

Its really just an entertainment thing as far as Im' concerned, and something that people should'nt really care about that much, who cares if dog the bounty hunter is racist, or makes a racist joke.

I personally think the best reaction for racism is looking at it for what it really is, stupid, ignorant, and really pathetic, rather than looking at it as offensive or shocking. Now thats for real racism, I think nower days a lot of people interpret things that don't nessesarily imply racist feelings as being racist and thats not honest as well, i.e. If a guy makes a racist joke, that does'nt nessesarily mean he's racist, humor is humor.

A perfect example of this is the guy who's pissed off about 300 for being fascist entertainment, which I've heard from other people before, at this point your just looking for something to be offended at.

Now in other countries, where its become law, thats crossing the line between just attitudes and reactions to law, and freedom of speach must be 100% free to be freedom of speach.

You probably have never been discriminated against in your life you fucking wanker. Fuck off with you.

First of all, you don't know that, second of all it does'nt make a difference, third of all, why not read what he read rather than attacking his supposed background, fourth, your just being emotional, which is'nt good for rational arguments.

It's a nasty strategy of the right, and a fairly successful one at that. I've been thinking for a while that there is really only one way we can change that: we should turn tables and start calling conservatives 'politically correct'.

I agree, its interesting that no one calls a guy on the news attacking a man calling him a communist or whatever, for being somewhat pro-labor or pro-treating immigrants as humans as being politically correct, when thats exactly what he's doing.

Its funny that any form of Worker initiative to control their workplace is very very taboo in the states still.

Remember the McCarthy days? Political correctness that was much worse than crucifying some celebrities for maybe having said something racist.

[trivas7]

I know a guy who used to think of me as 'politically correct' for being a leftist. He is not far-right or a Nazi, but a flag-waving, let's-curb-immigration, pro-capitalist, patriotic type. He too used to imagine himself as a rebel against 'political correctness' and took great pleasure in making statements that he imagined would 'offend' my leftist sensibilities.

It's part of the American psyche that he is always a rebel.

[communard resolution]

It's part of the American psyche that he is always a rebel.

He's British, though.

[apathy maybe]

AM, you need to accept the fact that word definitions are 100% socially constructed. Which means, if most people think a term means a certain thing, then that is in fact what the term means, even if you personally wish it were otherwise.

If most "normal" people consider "hackers" to be people who break into computers and cause damage and mischief, is that the correct definition, and the only one that should be used?

First of all, you don't know that, second of all it does'nt make a difference, third of all, why not read what he read rather than attacking his supposed background, fourth, your just being emotional, which is'nt good for rational arguments.

I don't "know" that, but I strongly suspect it is the case, otherwise he wouldn't have been such a fucking wanker about it. It does make a difference, because those who have been discriminated against, are more likely to object to further discrimination, either against them or against others. I did read his tripe, and it is just tripe, and isn't worth responding to otherwise. And I made a perfectly good, rational, serious argument just above that post.

[communard resolution]

It does make a difference, because those who have been discriminated against, are more likely to object to further discrimination, either against them or against others.

OK this is slightly off-topic, but I don't think what you're saying here is accurate. Many members of discriminated-against minorities are actually very hateful of other minorities. There seems to be an unfortunate mechanism that makes people who are discriminated against look for other minority groups to act it out on. I'm not generalising or claiming this is the case with every single person, but the phenomenon definitely exists.

[pusher robot]

If most "normal" people consider "hackers" to be people who break into computers and cause damage and mischief, is that the correct definition, and the only one that should be used?

Ummm...yes? Is this a trick question? Using a word that you know full well has a meaning to your audience different than the one you intend is sophistry, plain and simple.