In focussing attention on political correctness Martin Sewell has done a
service for the list. The particular example he gives Political
Correctness emanating from the Frankfurt School is not crucial. Lind's
identification of PC is limited to a component of thought among
sociologists. If so it should surely be discussed by sociologists and
doubtless is so discussed. But on this list it is being used as a part of
a political debate.
Isn't it true to say that political correctness is major component of most
political conflicts?
Dave O'Donnell gives Pontius Pilate speeches as another example of the use
of political correctness as part of a political debate. It is currently
not PC, to take a more current example from the same part of the world, that
Fatah won an election in Gaza last year - although this victory is a a
matter of fact.
The Israelis are particularly good at using political correctness in a
conflict situation. Anyone who does not declare that they recognise
Israel's right to exist should be starved or imprisoned and should certainly
not be entitled to receive US aid! The identification of what is PC and
what is not PC plays a dominant role in Israel's foreigh policy and
therefore plays and important role in Middle East politics. Conformity or
otherwise with the Israeli conception of what is and what is not PC has
life-threatening consequences. Israel seeks, usually with success, to
prevent discussion except in PC terms that they define.
The ideas expressed in that paragraph are certainly not PC.
In the early postwar years with the beginning of the cold war it became
politically incorrect to express Marxist ideas. Even the word capitalism
was not very widely used because people believed that the term was largely a
Marxist invention. Is it largely a Marxist invention? The world is not
inhibited in using the term capitalism nowadays. It has been made PC by
linking the idea of capitalism to freedom and democracy.
But the most outrageous current example is in the refusal to allow any
critical discussion of the concept of economic growth. We know that
economic growth can only be measured by economic statistics. We know that
economic statistics include many activies that are not of benefit to the
population - like traffic congestion, increases in house prices, and longer
journeys to work. But it is not PC to question the engine of capitalism!
Ray Thomas
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-----Original Message-----
From: email list for Radical Statistics [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of David O'Donnell
Sent: Friday, June 22, 2007 3:42 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Equality, socialism and political correctness.
I feel a paper coming on - now where can I find the time?
PC originated with P. Pilate (0000) I'm washing my hands of all these Reds,
Annals of the Neoliberal School, Vol XII No. XIV where P. Pilate argued that
as the mob indicated that Barrabus was more popular with the mob than that
wretched revolutionary oriented Jew that it was just, nay moral even, to
grant economic freedom to one and to crucify the other. Pilate's impeccable
logic has withstood the test of time.
It's Friday afternoon (-;
Dave
-----Original Message-----
From: email list for Radical Statistics [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of Martin Sewell
Sent: 22 June 2007 15:05
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Equality, socialism and political correctness.
Hi Dave, et al.
At 13:50 22/06/2007 +0100, David O'Donnell wrote:
>Popularity on Google does not necessarily correlate with reality
>............ however one views reality - represented or constructed.
Sure, it correlates with popularity.
>What bugs me personally is that the Frankfurt School is proposed by
>Lind as the main origin of PC ................ putting on me Frankfurt
>School-cap - what a load of ideology ..........
Browne (2006) also states that PC originated at the Frankfurt School,
whilst Ellis (2004) traces it back to the Russian Soviets.
Regards
Martin
References:
BROWNE, Anthony, 2006. The Retreat of Reason: Political Correctness
and the Corruption of Public Debate in Modern Britain. London: Civitas.
ELLIS, Frank, 2004. Political Correctness and the Theoretical
Struggle. Auckland: Maxim Institute.
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