Political Correctness
The term first appeared in the Marxist-Leninist vocabulary following the Russian Revolution (really, a coup) of 1917 to describe strict adherence to policies and principles of the Soviet Union’s Communist Party. “Political correctness” was invented by the communists to camouflage the truth about events and policies in the Soviet Union that had resulted in mass murders, the starvation of millions, and slave labor camps. It was “politically incorrect” to reveal such facts; the “party line” was for all loyal communist party members to promote the same “politically correct truths” about the “good life” under totalitarian government.
How could a practice so contrary to American principles of freedom of speech and the press come to be widely tolerated in American society, especially in the academy, several decades later? The early 1990’s witnessed the rise in college campuses of politicized curricula and teaching methods, typically on behalf of causes advocated by the political Left – especially in issues relating to race, class, and gender. Students were increasingly taught that the United States is an inherently racist society; that, contrary to the claims made in the Declaration of Independence, our political regime was designed to serve the interests of a rich minority at the expense of other citizens – and that Western society as a whole was intrinsically “patriarchal,” benefiting male oppressors at the expense of their female victims.
More importantly, an increasing number of college faculty made clear to their students that any expression of dissent from these views would cause the students’ grades to suffer. (Early works documenting these developments were Dinesh D’Souza’s Illiberal Education and Roger Kimball’s Tenured Radicals). Even when professors’ claims went directly contrary to known facts (such as that the greatest known emancipation of slaves in world history occurred in the U.S. during the Founding era, that America’s free economy has offered historically unparalleled opportunities for hundreds of millions of immigrants and their descendants – as well as, over the past century, African-Americans – to rise in economic and social status, along with political influence, and that women in the Western world enjoy far greater freedoms than their sisters in less-developed societies, it was made clear that the open statement of these facts was unwelcome, lest it interfere with the advancement of favored “liberationist” causes.
Nowadays, the reign of political correctness (PC) extends well beyond the academy, into the domain of ordinary language – in the name of not giving “offense” to selected groups. Hence, a blind person should be called visually impaired (or, better, “differently abled”); homeless people are “temporarily displaced;” illegal aliens should be called “undocumented immigrants;” one shouldn’t ask a stranger where he’s from because that’s a “microaggression” implying that he doesn’t “belong” here, pedophiles are MAP{ Minor attracted persons} and so on.
Meanwhile, back in the ivory tower, professors are directed to add “trigger warnings” to their syllabi, warning students that course readings might include materials (like Huckleberry Finn) that might distress them; and law schools may avoid teaching courses dealing with rape, for the same reason. The number of offenses continues to grow, feeding on the successes of PC censors. The “woke” person keeps up with the list of offenses and adds to them, hoping that by altering language, one can change beliefs and overcome all inconvenient facts.
“Political correctness” has also become synonymous with an unwillingness to engage in discussion with those who are judged to hold un-PC views. Such intolerance for the expression of dissenting views directly belies the claim of the PC crowd to be standing up for “tolerance” and “diversity.” By their account, the only speakers who should be tolerated are those who agree with him. “Diversity” may apply to the colour of people’s skin, but certainly not to the expression of alternative points of view – which colleges were once expected to encourage.
PC carried to its extreme has the capacity to destroy Western culture entirely.
By any consistent standard of political correctness, Shakespeare is certainly un-PC. To cursory readers and audiences, Taming of the Shrew promotes misogyny; Othello contains racist remarks; The Merchant of Venice contains an anti-Semitic strain. (Only a close study of the plays, of the sort most contemporary English professors avoid, would overcome these impressions.) Even Kate Smith’s classic rendition of “God Bless America” was dropped from the Yankee Stadium soundtrack because she sang what is now regarded as a racist tune at the age of 24 at the behest of her record company; while the words to the comic standard “Baby, It’s Cold Outside!” have been altered because the original lyrics could imply an ensuing “pressured” sexual encounter. (Meanwhile, rap singers who celebrate sexual subjugation of women and use words like “who” and the otherwise dreaded N-word get a free pass.)
Canada and British Columbia are even worse, especially after year 2015, when Liberal party took the power and Marxist practices became common.
Private company Canadian Broadcasting Corporation with almost 9500 employees received from Federal government millions of dollars to spread government propaganda and misinformation.
Universities and campuses use politically correct literature to enhance leftist, feminist, and antiwhite rhetoric. Leftish scholars are using tactics as indoctrination, censorship and outright intimidation to secure institutional and curricular change on campus whose effect is to subvert fundamental wester traditions and values.
If the PC purity test continues to rule, then it’s time to close the libraries, the museums, the concert halls (Richard Wagner composed great operas but is also deservedly notorious for his anti-Semitic tract “Jewishness in Music”), and especially the universities.
The only way out of the PC dilemma is to push back against the tide. Start to use proper language and describe the things as they really are without any colourful fake words around.
Yes, political correctness has gone too far. “Woke” me when moderation, toleration, and common sense return.
RS, DB
