# Political correctness is cowardice. **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [June 2, 2014, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-correctness-is-cowardice/689829 "2014-06-02T12:47:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![welcome-to-my-world](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a88e4f/32.png) [@welcome-to-my-world](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/welcome-to-my-world)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-correctness-is-cowardice/689829/1 "2014-06-02T12:47:04Z")
Political correctness is the insane shackles that our society has agreed to endure in order to absolve us of our intransigence. It is the modern day version of the Emperors new clothes, and possibly the crux of the matter with the difficulties that the country has with directly dealing with the fact that we have a black president and he is taking the country outside the box most of the citizens are comfortable with. We are so pleased to paint as plastic smile on our faces and cautiously tip toe around each other with our hidden knives at the ready while we fraudulently rub shoulders with people we realty want to beat the crap out of. Can our society do anything more than continue on life support with the continued implementation of this fake world or will it explode as it did in the 60’s. Does society progress like a slowly flowing stream or does it correct itself like the violent shifting of the plates that create Earthquakes? ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-correctness-is-cowardice/689829/2 "2014-06-02T12:53:47Z")
> [@welcome-to-my-world](#): > > Political correctness is the insane shackles that our society has agreed to endure in order to absolve us of our intransigence. It is the modern day version of the Emperors new clothes, and possibly the crux of the matter with the difficulties that the country has with directly dealing with the fact that we have a black president and he is taking the country outside the box most of the citizens are comfortable with. > > We are so pleased to paint as plastic smile on our faces and cautiously tip toe around each other with our hidden knives at the ready while we fraudulently rub shoulders with people we realty want to beat the crap out of. > > Can our society do anything more than continue on life support with the continued implementation of this fake world or will it explode as it did in the 60’s. Does society progress like a slowly flowing stream or does it correct itself like the violent shifting of the plates that create Earthquakes? I was all ready to refute your arguments with the central position that “political correctness” is generally a pejorative term for “common human decency,” but you don’t even raise any arguments, but rather string together a list of barely-coherent metaphors. Wanna make a real argument so it can be rebutted? ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-correctness-is-cowardice/689829/3 "2014-06-02T12:54:50Z")
Please post your definition of Political Correctness and a few examples. Otherwise this discussion is like nailing Jello to a wall. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-correctness-is-cowardice/689829/4 "2014-06-02T13:01:24Z")
Anyone else NOT guess the join date from the title alone? Dude, the “problem” of political correctness is so far down on the list that it’s not even funny. Doomed by political correctness? Ha! Climate Chance is going to kill us all first!! ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-correctness-is-cowardice/689829/5 "2014-06-02T13:22:51Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Climate Chance is going to kill us all first!! Climate Chance sounds like a new Facebook game, like Candy Crush. It could easily kill us all. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-correctness-is-cowardice/689829/6 "2014-06-02T13:31:46Z")
I think that the OP is trying to say that most Americans despise what President Obama has done in office but are afraid to denounce him because of the fact that he is black. Which is factually wrong to the point of being nuts. I can’t fathom how someone could pay any attention to what passes for political discourse in this country and conclude that we are being too polite or reticent about our displeasure or disagreements about anything. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-correctness-is-cowardice/689829/7 "2014-06-02T13:41:05Z")
> [@welcome-to-my-world](#): > > We are so pleased to paint as plastic smile on our faces and cautiously tip toe around each other with our hidden knives at the ready while we fraudulently rub shoulders with people we realty want to beat the crap out of. That is all quite true, but **long** predates political correctness! It’s called “society.” I could send you some literature on it. > [@welcome-to-my-world](#): > > Can our society do anything more than continue on life support with the continued implementation of this fake world or will it explode as it did in the 60’s. Of course that had nothing to do with PC, which was not yet invented. ---
**Author:** ![Pjen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Pjen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pjen)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-correctness-is-cowardice/689829/8 "2014-06-02T13:42:31Z")
> [@welcome-to-my-world](#): > > Political correctness is the insane shackles that our society has agreed to endure in order to absolve us of our intransigence. It is the modern day version of the Emperors new clothes, and possibly the crux of the matter with the difficulties that the country has with directly dealing with the fact that we have a black president and he is taking the country outside the box most of the citizens are comfortable with. > > We are so pleased to paint as plastic smile on our faces and cautiously tip toe around each other with our hidden knives at the ready while we fraudulently rub shoulders with people we realty want to beat the crap out of. > > Can our society do anything more than continue on life support with the continued implementation of this fake world or will it explode as it did in the 60’s. Does society progress like a slowly flowing stream or does it correct itself like the violent shifting of the plates that create Earthquakes? Please define Political correctness. Different people mean different things by the phrase. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-correctness-is-cowardice/689829/9 "2014-06-02T13:50:21Z")
> [@Pjen](#): > > Please define Political correctness. > > Different people mean different things by the phrase. Apparently it has something to do with ["cultural](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=611132) [Marxism"](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=617657). ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-correctness-is-cowardice/689829/10 "2014-06-02T13:53:04Z")
> [@welcome-to-my-world](#): > > We are so pleased to paint as plastic smile on our faces and cautiously tip toe around each other with our hidden knives at the ready while we fraudulently rub shoulders with people we realty want to beat the crap out of. But that’s older than humanity. I take it you’ve never watched a nature documentary. ---
**Author:** ![42fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/b487fb/32.png) [@42fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/42fish)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-correctness-is-cowardice/689829/11 "2014-06-02T14:10:40Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Anyone else NOT guess the join date from the title alone? Yeah: I was figuring June, 2014. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-correctness-is-cowardice/689829/12 "2014-06-02T14:23:08Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > Climate Chance sounds like a new Facebook game, like Candy Crush. It could easily kill us all. Or one of the card stacks in _Monopoly: Global Warming Edition._ ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-correctness-is-cowardice/689829/13 "2014-06-02T14:30:34Z")
Anyone else curious about this box that Obama has taken the country outside? I never noticed that we were in a box. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-correctness-is-cowardice/689829/14 "2014-06-02T14:41:06Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Anyone else curious about this box that Obama has taken the country outside? I never noticed that we were in a box. That is because the box was warm and comfortable. ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-correctness-is-cowardice/689829/15 "2014-06-02T14:53:32Z")
> [@welcome-to-my-world](#): > > Political correctness is the insane shackles that our society has agreed to endure in order to absolve us of our intransigence. It is the modern day version of the Emperors new clothes, and possibly the crux of the matter with the difficulties that the country has with directly dealing with the fact that we have a black president and he is taking the country outside the box most of the citizens are comfortable with. > > We are so pleased to paint as plastic smile on our faces and cautiously tip toe around each other with our hidden knives at the ready while we fraudulently rub shoulders with people we realty want to beat the crap out of. > > Can our society do anything more than continue on life support with the continued implementation of this fake world or will it explode as it did in the 60’s. Does society progress like a slowly flowing stream or does it correct itself like the violent shifting of the plates that create Earthquakes? Meanwhile, here’s basically [the opposite position from yours](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQCNS4eGmuY). I think it’s worth noting that he makes a far better case than you do. You don’t define your terms, you don’t make it clear what you’re talking about, and you seem to be confusing “political correctness” with “society”. ---
**Author:** ![JEngelman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e79b87/32.png) [@JEngelman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JEngelman)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-correctness-is-cowardice/689829/16 "2014-06-02T14:54:46Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Apparently it has something to do with ["cultural](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=611132) [Marxism"](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=617657). As a political ideology Marxism is pretty much dead in the United States, and in the West. During the War in Vietnam Marxism was a minority persuasion in the anti war movement. The American Communist Party consists of several thousand members nationwide. I doubt that the Progressive Labor Party consists of more than several hundred members. If there are any other Marxist organizations in the United States they are equally ineffectual. I do not know of anyone who claims to be a cultural Marxist. It does not seem to be anything more than a derogatory term for social liberal. Social liberalism is not a movement, but a set of values, and a way of behaving that have become the consensus in the United States. Those who dislike these changes like to pretend that they are the result of a conspiracy of a powerful but small elite. They like to pretend that if they could defeat the elite, the American People would revert to the ethos of the 1950’s. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-correctness-is-cowardice/689829/17 "2014-06-02T14:59:46Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > That is because the box was warm and comfortable. With nice throw pillows and digital cable. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-correctness-is-cowardice/689829/18 "2014-06-02T15:14:04Z")
It’s politically incorrect to question political correctness. Love it or hate it you have to admire its defense mechanisms. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-correctness-is-cowardice/689829/19 "2014-06-02T15:17:47Z")
I find that when people bash political correctness, they usually mean “people should just admit I’m right about everything.” It’s not much of an argument. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-correctness-is-cowardice/689829/20 "2014-06-02T15:22:47Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > I find that when people bash political correctness, they usually mean “people should just admit I’m right about everything.” It’s not much of an argument. Sometimes people use the term “Politically Incorrect” as an asshole/jerk/bigot license. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-correctness-is-cowardice/689829.md?page=2)