The psychology of political correctness

My take on it is that, as Coyote explained, the PC that exists among Progressives is obvious to the point of denials concerning it are pass. Many do in fact use it as a weapon to shut down a legitimate argument and use it a way similar to a filibuster. Conservatives have plenty of bad tendencies, but this bad tendency is particular to Progs.However, I also understand what many people have been trying to point out to Faith; that her use of the term PC is essentially mischaracterized to mean anything "liberal."

This place is full of lefties. When are one of you PC labelers going to point to someone here attempting to shut down discussion in such a way? I spent an entire thread requesting such an example from you, without success.

See what is happening on college campuses.

One example would be Genomicus and Modulous in the White Privilege thread. I'm too lazy to look up specific post numbersEdited by Hyroglyphx, : No reason given.

Actually, I've never once attempted to shut you down. You're too lazy to look up specific post numbers or did it never happen? Anyone visiting that thread will at once see that I've been consistent in presenting evidence in detailed fashion and using that evidence to excoriate your position -- instead of attempting to shut down your argument for any supposed PC reasons. So, yes, go ahead and pull up specific post numbers or your statement is not exactly defensible.

What I mean by "shut down" is by excluding anything outside of your racist narrative. You won't even entertain it, because like Theodoric in the Sounding Gay thread, even the presumption of something must be racist or homophobic or sexist. In essence, it's like pulling the Race Card. Whenever somebody doesn't like what you're saying, just make allegations of racism instead of addressing the content. That's what I mean by "shut down." I'm not suggesting that you were trying to silence me or anything along those lines.

I agree that Theodoric reacted in a rather unhinged manner in the thread you referenced. However, I disagree with your assessment (to the limited extent that I can be unbiased regarding a discussion I am actively engaged in) about excluding anything outside of a race-based narrative. It's two in the morning where I am, so my memory may be faulty, but I do not believe I ever called your viewpoint racist. It is, rather, somewhat misinformed (because, again, those in positions of privilege are often blind to their privilege). Specific examples would be helpful here, where you feel like I'm coming across as an enforcer of some PC standard.

I may be confusing something Modulous said and unfairly pasted it on to you. If so, I apologize. Modulous at one point in the discussion claimed that I was getting dangerously close to overt racism (not a verbatim quote). I thought that was a rather unfair characterization of my argument. However, even this was a bad example of what people are referencing, because I actually don't think Modulous was being unfair or using some kind of straw man tactic against me.The argument between Bill Maher and Ben Affleck comes to mind. Affleck apparently thought it was racist to be critical of Islam. Apparently if you are critical of Islam, it means you hate Arabs. Affleck insisted over and over that it was "racist" even though Islam is a religion, not a race. But as soon as you make the allegation alone, it shifts the focus of the argument away from the topic and ends up with someone defending themselves against a false allegation. It's a straw man tactic.

Your own example includes your favorite fact-less attack against liberals, that they're PC, as if leveling the charge of PC is evidence of anything. It's just empty blather. If for example someone, anyone, levels the charge of racism against those who advocate singling out all Muslims or Mexicans for "special treatment," then the charge is not PC but truth, because singling out entire groups for hate and intolerance is the very definition of racism.Rather than dismissing the charge with an, "Oh, you're just being PC," it must be explained how discrimination and hate against a group isn't racism. One would hope that most people would recognize racism when they see it, whether they're conservatives, independents, liberals, or apolitical.--Percy

Translating, "PC is something some liberals do." If that's what you meant, then sure. Someone mentioned college campuses as an example of hotbeds of PC, and I bet if you asked liberals here to go down a list of examples of PC on campus in 2015 that they'd agree that they're good examples of PC language or behavior.If you really believe that "PC is something some liberals do," then maybe you can rein in your knee jerk reaction of calling "PC" against nearly every liberal opinion.--Percy

Oh, you wanted to stay on topic, so that made it okay to "make a harsh criticism of a liberal" without evidence or justification, the very thing you were claiming conservatives didn't do against liberals. I get it. The Forum Guidelines made you do it.--Percy

As far as I can tell, liberals are opposed to that.Don't equate "liberal" with "political left". They are not the same. The left has its crazies, too.

Seriously, it was like a week ago. How can you have forgotten something like this so easily? I must be very poor at attempting to 'shut the conversation down'.

Yes, Conservatives have done very well at appropriating it as an insult to use against people that accuse them of being prejudiced.Bloody Liberal PC Marxists - they should have used the term right back at them - now they've lost copyright on it.Edited by Modulous, : No reason given.

1) I did not call you a bigot.2) Your complaint is that playing tit-for-tat only tars one side but not the other. That is nonsense.3) You don't want for liberals to attack you for calling them all commies. That's just what you do.So yeah, your own version of throwing around insults indiscriminately is bad behavior and just as bad as what you complain about.Edited by NoNukes, : No reason given.