[Sernec]

I was just reading an announcement by jamahiriya when the conversation quickly desended to a who flamed who argument and the thought dawned on me that if we are going to worry so much about respecting cultural differences then we will soon loose our freedom to express different ideas without being prosecuted ourselves, is this not the 21st century where both cultural and idological diversity are celebrated?

Feel free to speak your mind

This post has been edited by Sernec: 16 October 2008 - 10:46 PM

[Boyle]

Sernec, on Oct 16 2008, 09:48 PM, said:

I was just reading an announcement by jamahiriya when the conversation quickly desended to a who flamed who argument and the thought dawned on me that if we are going to worry so much about respecting cultural differences then we will soon loose our freedom to express different ideas without being prosecuted ourselves, is this not the 21st century where both cultural and idological diversity are celebrated?

Feel free to speak your mind

Come to America, get a job in an office, crack a joke about women in the office.

Have fun at sensitivity training.

[Sithis]

Show me a person who expects political correctness over the internet, and I'll show you a fool.

[Kenadian_2006]

I shall do the PC thing, and vote no.

[Mack Truck]

I don't like political correctness but I don't expect it to destroy free speech either.

[Straylight]

Sernec, on Oct 16 2008, 11:48 PM, said:

I was just reading an announcement by jamahiriya when the conversation quickly desended to a who flamed who argument and the thought dawned on me that if we are going to worry so much about respecting cultural differences then we will soon loose our freedom to express different ideas without being prosecuted ourselves, is this not the 21st century where both cultural and idological diversity are celebrated?

Feel free to speak your mind

Alright, I will speak my mind. Political correctness is not much more than a huge strawman for conservatives to unload their righteous indignation on. Seriously you are getting hyped up about something that is a total non-issue. The idea that "political correctness" (whatever that is) is destroying free speech is simply absurd... reminds me of McCain at the debate saying that Acorn is "destroying the fabric of democracy". It's just silly.

[-Wolverine-]

Boyle, on Oct 17 2008, 04:52 AM, said:

Come to America, get a job in an office, crack a joke about women in the office.

Have fun at sensitivity training.

More like the Sexual Harassment at the Workplace class. Damn, that was a very boring two hours..... not that I did anything to deserve it, it twas mandatory.

I learned a few things, one, anything and everything can be harassment. Two, 92% of sexual harassment claims are made by women, 4% by men, and 4% by gays/lesbians/bi's.

[Ignacij II]

-Wolverine-, on Oct 17 2008, 12:15 PM, said:

More like the Sexual Harassment at the Workplace class. Damn, that was a very boring two hours..... not that I did anything to deserve it, it twas mandatory.

I learned a few things, one, anything and everything can be harassment. Two, 92% of sexual harassment claims are made by women, 4% by men, and 4% by gays/lesbians/bi's.

Let me guess, your an angry white guy? (figures)

[Lamuella]

I loathe the term "polirical correctness" because it's used by people as a bugbear for rudeness not being acceptable.

In reality, there's really no such thing as political correctness. There's only politeness (note how the words have the same source)

[Robert Davidson]

Mack Truck, on Oct 17 2008, 01:21 AM, said:

I don't like political correctness but I don't expect it to destroy free speech either.

it already pretty much has.

[Renolds]

Lamuella, on Oct 17 2008, 12:58 PM, said:

I loathe the term "polirical correctness" because it's used by people as a bugbear for rudeness not being acceptable.

In reality, there's really no such thing as political correctness. There's only politeness (note how the words have the same source)

not really, non-PC subjects can cover things that really no one is insulted by and its just in the minds of the people making the rules up.

for example "ohh we have two Muslim employees and its Ramadan coming up. Better tell our 300 staff that they cant eat lunches while on site just in case those two get insulted."

[Lamuella]

Robert Davidson, on Oct 17 2008, 08:32 AM, said:

it already pretty much has.

go on then, what are these millions of things you want to say and aren't allowed to?

[Renolds]

Lamuella, on Oct 17 2008, 02:12 PM, said:

go on then, what are these millions of things you want to say and aren't allowed to?

call a woman a lady
call a woman a chick
call a woman a babe
call a woman a girl
describe black people as black
describe fat people as fat
etc
etc

[Lamuella]

Renolds, on Oct 17 2008, 09:26 AM, said:

call a woman a lady
call a woman a chick
call a woman a babe
call a woman a girl
describe black people as black
describe fat people as fat
etc
etc

I can and have done all these. Am I supposed to not be able to?

Remember that freedom of speech is not freedom from the consequences of speech.

[Renolds]

Lamuella, on Oct 17 2008, 02:28 PM, said:

I can and have done all these. Am I supposed to not be able to?

Remember that freedom of speech is not freedom from the consequences of speech.

all of my list has been barred at some point from use by workers at various councils in the UK.

[Lamuella]

Renolds, on Oct 17 2008, 09:35 AM, said:

all of my list has been barred at some point from use by workers at various councils in the UK.

wait, you're talking about things you're allowed to say at work? I misunderstood. From Robert Davidson's comment that political correctness "already pretty much has" destroyed free speech, I thought you were actually talking about free speech.

If you're just taking about things you're not allowed to say at work, the list is much longer:

I can't tell people I hate them
I can't tell people they're ugly
I can't say "all gays must be executed"
I can't scream uncontrollably for 30 minutes once a day
I can't answer all questions with the f-word
I can't tell my boss he's a boring little robot with no social skills
I can't ask female (or male) co-workers if they got any fries to go with that shake when they walk away from me
I can't tell anyone I put a bomb in their car
I can't stand on the desk and yell "I AM A GOLDEN GOD"

damn these attacks on my freedom of speech

[thedestro]

I don't like political correctness in some regards, but to say it can potentially destroy free speech is ridiculous.

[Renolds]

difference is the ones on my list are ridiculous lam

[Robert Davidson]

Lamuella, on Oct 17 2008, 09:12 AM, said:

go on then, what are these millions of things you want to say and aren't allowed to?

can't say a black man is black anymore, the PC term is now "african American"
can't say other "racist" comments such as mulatto (and of course the N- bomb, but this is understandable)
can't comment on how women dress anymore (slut for instance, that is discriminatory against women)
can't say that someone is old, the correct term is "elderly"
can't say someone is deaf when they keep saying "what?" because that is discriminatory against deaf people. the correct term is now "hearing impaired"
can't say "what are you blind?" because that mocks blind people
can't say Merry Christmas, the PC term is now "Happy Holidays" (so that we don't offend other religions)
can't say someone is short, the correct term is "vertically challenged"

etc...I can post more that i can think of off the top of my head if you want.

[Wurzel]

You can say all those things, political correctness is mainly self enforced and the consequences mostly social.