Whoa there (Off-Topic)

by Kermit , Raleigh, NC, Thursday, December 19, 2019, 12:49 (1597 days ago) @ Cody Miller
edited by Kermit, Thursday, December 19, 2019, 13:30

Of course more people than that believe in compassion and understanding. That ISN’T what PC culture is. PC culture is is essentially just another puritanical authoritarianism that tries to dictate what people are allowed to say or think, under the guise of compassion and decency.

This is a malicious characterization of it. PC culture is simply "don't be an asshole" culture.

I think that's a simplistic and benign characterization of it. Much depends on how you define "asshole," and many define it as anyone who disagrees, and then feel justified being an asshole to the "asshole."

So the people pushing their authoritarian doctrines get to feel morally superior while they do it, with very little effort. It’s just another form of religious-level group compulsion. It’s also blatantly unhelpful, even by its own standards.

There is nothing unhelpful about being being understanding and kind.

You assume perfect knowledge of what's needed and of outcomes.

Make it illegal? Absolutely not (and if you don’t think that PC culture is trying to do the latter, you need to read more).

Nobody is trying to do this in the United States. I understand this IS a problem in Canada (see for instance Mark Steyn), but we have the first amendment and changing it would be unthinkable by pretty much everyone.

I think hate crime legislation is a step in that direction, combined with the trend to equate speech with violence. There are plenty of people here who at least want to hobble the first amendment by practice if not by statute. Think of how often you see "free speech" in scare quotes. When I was your age, censorship was a dirty word. I don't think it is anymore.