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Wednesday, December 27, 2006
The War on Political Correctness
The War on Political Correctness
Many of the things that seem to be going wrong for America today can be traced to an excess of political correctness -- if, indeed, that's not a redundant phrase. When tempered by confidence in one's self and culture, the desire not to offend others comes out as simple politeness. But when it gets out of control, as it does among Liberals, it becomes a need to prevent oneself from giving any possible hint of offense, combined with a desire to "make up" for any self-perceived racial or cultural advantage one may have, at any cost. Such desires can cause great harm to a person or a culture -- or even kill them.
It's political correctness that's causing us the most harm in the War on Terror, especially in Iraq. How can we win a war in which we're determined not to offend anyone, even the enemy? Political correctness caused us to treat Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr as an equal, back when his group of Iran-backed thugs was small enough to take out of the picture, if we'd had the political will. Now, he's a major player -- and a major problem.
In so many cases, our troops are not allowed to return fire when attacked from mosques, nor even from homes without a careful -- and often deadly -- investigation. Every action they take is dissected in detail, second-guessed by the "mainstream" media and those who seem to actually crave failure... and even used to prosecute them for doing their jobs.
In Guantanamo Bay and other places, political correctness prevents us from interrogating captured enemy fighters. Instead, our troops feed them "culturally sensitive" meals and put on gloves before handling their Qur'ans -- giving in to their psychotic conviction that we are "unclean" and need to be converted or wiped out. The gloves are an ironic symbol of the delicate manner in which our soldiers are forced to treat the enemy both on and off the battlefield.
Political correctness prevents us from demanding that Iran and Syria stop shoveling funds, weapons and "foreign fighters" across their borders into Iraq as fast as they can move it all. In our zeal to treat international criminals like statesmen and elected leaders, we cripple ourselves. The leaders of Iran, in addition to supporting terrorists and insurgents in Iraq, are openly working on nuclear weapons and have declared their intention to wipe Israel off the map. Iranian clerics regularly call for the destruction of America, to the cheering of crowds. According to MEMRI (the Middle East Media Research Institute):
Responding to the sermons, frenzied crowds of Iranians chant, "Death to America," "Death to England," and "Death to Israel," with the occasional "Death to Saddam." Other popular chants include "America will be annihilated," "Islam will be victorious," "Woe to the enemy if Khamenei commands me to wage jihad," and countless other curses against the West.
The sermons focus on threats against the "Great Satan," America, and the "Little Satan," Israel, and their coming collapse. Other themes are attacks on President Bush, praise for jihad and martyrdom, Iraq, and support for Iran's nuclear program.What's our politically-correct response to hordes of Iranians screaming for our annihilation? We wonder how we've offended them, and how we can gain their love and trust. No wonder the jihadists are so certain of victory. We seem to have no confidence in our own culture, when people around the world want to join it so badly that in some cases, they risk death just to get here.
Perhaps the gold standard of cultural confidence was set by General Sir Charles Napier, the commander-in-chief of India under British rule. When locals complained about his banning suttee, the practice of burning widows alive on their husband's funeral pyre, Napier is said to have responded, "You say that it is your custom to burn widows. Very well. We also have a custom: when men burn a woman alive, we tie a rope around their necks and we hang them. Build your funeral pyre; beside it, my carpenters will build a gallows. You may follow your custom. And then we will follow ours." As a result, suttee is no longer practiced in India, and the country is much better for its absence.
Even in our own homeland, we have lost our cultural confidence. Political correctness is burying everything that made America the superpower we are today. Some of our greatest strengths have always been our sense of individualism, our spirit of capitalism, our belief in the rule of law, our patriotism and our freedom of (not from!) religious belief. The aggressive secular Socialism pushed by the Left is stifling all those things.
Nanny-state government entitlements sap our self-reliance. Punitive, progressive tax rates destroy our reasons for engaging in capitalistic enterprises. Those who want to secure our borders and stop criminal trespassers are demonised as "bigots" and "racists," as though criminals have a distinct ethnicity. Americans who believe that the purpose of American foreign policy is to promote American interests are derided as "flag-waving mindless patriots" and "nationalists." As John Wayne said in 1972, however, "Sure I wave the American flag. Do you know of a better flag to wave?"
Worst of all, militant secularism is taking a toll on our religious freedom. In what other country would a majority of 82% -- the percentage of Americans who subscribe to one form of Christianity or another, according to a recent Baylor University study -- deliberately act like the minority?
In one recent example of political correctness gone mad, the Olympic skater Sasha Cohen was "stunned" when a city official accompanied by police ordered a high school choir to stop singing "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" on her behalf. They feared that the old song (the lyrics of which reportedly date back to the 15th century) might offend her, because it mentions Christmas and she is half Jewish. No one even bothered to ask Cohen whether she was offended... which she wasn't, as she celebrates Christmas and was currently participating in a "Christmas tree lighting tour" around the country. The grim and scowling spirit of political correctness dictated that she might be offended, therefore the music was offensive and had to be stopped. Let me point out that if you're offended by the mere mention of a religious holiday in public, especially concerning a holiday celebrated by 96% of the people in this country, perhaps you ought to start looking for a country that suits you better.
We're afraid to make any judgments at all, lest someone's feelings be hurt. We spend so much time asking, "Who are we to judge?" that we actually forget who we are. At home, we need to remember that we are the country all others envy, and so many people want so desperately to reach that the sheer number of illegal immigrants actually poses a problem. What other country in the world can make that claim? We need to recover our cultural confidence before we no longer have a culture.
In Iraq and the larger War on Terror, we need to stop tiptoeing around and actually fight our enemies. You might say that we can't win the War on Terror until we start fighting the War on Political Correctness.
Posted at Wednesday, December 27, 2006 by CavalierX
 | | | Raposa
December 28, 2006 02:56 PM PST
Good point, but I take issue with your nomenclature. What you're talking about is 'sensitivity', the biggest, dumbest part of muliticulturalism.
Political correctness normally refers to the stifling word choice necessary in today's multicultural world. Sure, I'm splitting hairs, but each segment of multiculturalism is dangerous. We should keep clear on what we're all referring to.
Political correctness is an attempt to control thought by controlling language. Some people promote it for reasons of 'sensitivity', which goes along with your article, but others do it to split people into groups which can be managed according to conflict theory. Whatever the reason, we are bullied into using the words someone else chooses so that we will think in a manner that they desire.
The word choices used in political correctness split us up into smaller and smaller tribes and prevent us from speaking clearly about important subjects. That's enough danger without loading up the term with the rest of the multicultural baggage. | |
| | | Tom
December 28, 2006 05:21 PM PST
Whoever said that Political Correctness was correct? | |
| | | Elvez73
December 28, 2006 11:04 PM PST
The analysis that "political correctness" splits us into small groups and subgroups is quite wrong-headed. Contrary to the above post the founders especially Mr. Jefferson did want us to be free of religion if we so chose. Ones religion should be between a man and his God and has no place at all in our government. So called political correctness has been abused by many in places like San Francisco or other liberal enclaves, but it is mostly a creation of the right, I refer to the so called war on Christmas rhetoric of last year. True Americans are Americans first and foremost, the Constitution is a sacred text to me and everything else that I am, Anglo-Saxon, Christian, Male, etc is secondary to that. Wanting to forge a national identity devoid of ethnic or religious, or gender biases seems like a uniquely American idea to me. Noones saying for people to give up their identity, but America is stronger when we stand as one. Excess political correctness wasn't responsible for the terrorist attacks of 9-11, nor is it responsible for our misadventure in Mesopotamia. What it is, is a constant bogeyman trotted out by the right to make people afraid that they are losing their rights to godless socialist liberals, when in fact the erosion in our Constitutional rights is coming from the GOP. | |
| | | JM
December 29, 2006 06:21 AM PST
>"political correctness" splits us
>into small groups and subgroups
That's multiculturalism, one doctrine of political correctness.
>the founders especially Mr.
>Jefferson did want us to be free of
>religion if we so chose
Quite wrong, of course. Do some research. Here, this may help get you started:
http://www.eadshome.com/QuotesoftheFounders.htm
"I am a real Christian, that is to say, a disciple of the doctrines of Jesus."
- Thomas Jefferson
>Ones religion should be between a
>man and his God and has no
>place at all in our government.
Except, of course, that a person's views are shaped by his or her religion. So you're proposing that only athiests should be allowed to run the country.
>mostly a creation of the right
Are you mad?
>I refer to the so called war on
>Christmas rhetoric of last year
You think the RIGHT is attacking Christmas?
>Excess political correctness wasn't
>responsible for the terrorist
>attacks of 9-11
That's the worst strawman I've ever seen, and I've seen some doozies.
>erosion in our Constitutional rights
>is coming from the GOP
Please... this is pathetic. These Liberal talking points have been worn thin. Unless, of course, you're talking about McCain-Feingold, in which case I agree. | |
| | | Hoss
January 3, 2007 09:04 AM PST
Saying that Political Correctness is mainly a device used by the right is perhaps one of the dumbest statements ever put forth. And, to equate its lengthy history with the right ALL the way back to the recent defense of Christmas just magnifies it's stupidity. There is an equivalency between PC and Christmas, but it lies with many on the left who use political correctness as a bludgeon to have any remnants of Christmas (and largely religion) removed from any part of the public.
"What it is, is a constant bogeyman trotted out by the right ..."
You couldn't possibly shred your credibility any worse, could you. I'll wait for specific examples.
Political correctness is permanently attahed to the left. It's either echo their thoughts, use their terminology, and feel their guilt or you must be a misanthrope, racist, homophobe, nativist,......And if you can't recognize that as being the root cause of PC, you are lazily ignoring history. And, I'll wait for some specific examples of how the GOP is eroding our Constitutional rights. Please don't mouth non-specific platitudes about the Patriot Act. But, you could address how you reconcile the fact that LIBERAL SC Justices ignore the Constitution in favor of international law and populism, and just how that is "protecting" our rights. | |
| | | Jimbob
January 4, 2007 06:31 AM PST
"At home, we need to remember that we are the country all others envy"
HAHA
Better: we are the the country that all civilized nations despise.
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| | | JM
January 4, 2007 06:33 AM PST
Leave, then. Don't get run over by all the people trying to get in on your way out. | |
| | | Buckeye
January 4, 2007 07:25 AM PST
IMO being political correct is just another way of taking away freedom of speech. | |
| | | Jimbob
January 4, 2007 07:36 AM PST
I don't think that there are any civilized countries as neighbours except Canada - and I doubt there is that much of an influx from Europe. Perhaps a few from the poorer european countries, still believing in the "land of opportunity".... Do you think there are many Canadians trying to enter and become American? | |
| | | JM
January 4, 2007 11:37 AM PST
>I don't think that there are any
>civilized countries as neighbours
>except Canada
Good Lord, what an amazing display of arrogance and racism. Then again, that's entirely typical of the Left.
>I doubt there is that much of an
>influx from Europe
First of all what does that have to do with other countries envying America its power? Second of all, in 2005 there were 12,909,602 non-immmigrant admissions from Europe, 176,569 Europeans who obtained permanent legal residence in the US and and 97,482 Europeans who became naturalised US citizens.
>Do you think there are many
>Canadians trying to enter and
>become American?
Also in 2005, 21,878 Canadians obtained legal permanent residence in the US, 7,815 became naturalised US citizens and 230,905 obtained non-immigrant admission. So yeah, I guess no one wants to come here except Mexicans. | |
| | | Jimbob
January 5, 2007 08:03 AM PST
"Good Lord, what an amazing display of arrogance and racism."
Thanks - that's the first time I've been accused of a racist remark. But you're right, the phrase was not well put. By "civilized" I meant "advanced" or "modern" or "rich". It's hard to explain the concept in a single word.... I'll try and be more careful next time.
"Then again, that's entirely typical of the Left."
I think that's a bit unfair - I know lots of very decent and perfectly humble people who are left wing - and so do you I'm sure.
Thanks for the interesting stats, higher numbers than I expected...
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