# un-PC beliefs **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 2, 2010, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/un-pc-beliefs/555823 "2010-10-02T05:46:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2010, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/un-pc-beliefs/555823/41 "2010-10-03T21:02:03Z")
> [@dhkendall](#): > > > [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > > > **Martini** , political correctness has to do with a fear of offending someone. You’re afraid that someone might be offended by your describing a person as black? No problem! You call them a “person of African descent”! You’re afraid that you’ll offend women by saying fireman? No problem- he’s now a “firefighter”! She isn’t Indian, she’s Native American. He’s not crippled, he’s handicapped! Or wait, no, he’s _handicapable_! > > > > I’m being politically correct right now. See how I threw in a female example (the Native American)? > > Actually, I’ve been more keen to use “Native American” (or, as is more common in Canada, “First Nations” or “aboriginal”) merely because there’s another ethnic group (one of the world’s largest) called “Indian”, and there could be some confusion as to which is meant. At least the PC term for the American one helps differentiate them, there isn’t really a term, PC or not\* for the Asian variety. > > \*excluding downright insulting ones (like “raghead”) of course. (Wait, is “raghead” meant for wearers of the keffiyeh or turban, I get confused … ) That’s all true and I considered the American Indian/Indian issue as I was composing my post. In the end, though, most of the times I’ve been gently informed that I should call them Native Americans rather than American Indians it’s seemed to be in the same tone as “they prefer to be called little people”, etc. I think that sounding PC is a reason a great many people call them Natives rather than Indians. ---
**Author:** ![lindsaybluth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90db22/32.png) [@lindsaybluth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lindsaybluth)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2010, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/un-pc-beliefs/555823/42 "2010-10-03T21:28:24Z")
> [@turner](#): > > 1b. Winning and losing are habits learned early. Celebrate the winners to give the losers incentive to try harder and reach their full potential. Keep score in little league games, give real meaningful grades, reward and recognize achievement. This. I see the effects right now on my SO’s much younger 8 year old sister. At 8 years old, a second grader, she acts like your below-average kindergartener. She’s in speech therapy because she chooses to clench her mouth when she speaks, so that she can get out of school twice/week. If you ask her to speak “normally” she can - instantly. She cries when she doesn’t get her way. She fakes injuries, and she bawls enough to make herself throw up. She lies about things - “the cat broke my glasses!” This behavior, while not great, wouldn’t be off base for a kid in kindergarten. All the while, her teachers have, when pressed, call her “sensitive” and “caring”, which reinforce her mother’s coddling attitude. She’s a spoiled, petulant brat. Anyway, mine is that religious beliefs are not free from my ridicule and mocking. You’re not a special snowflake, and it’s not terrible to be questioned about the finer points of your religion, whether your leaders (the Hitler Youth Pope, various violent Imams) or your holy book have reprehensible beliefs. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2010, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/un-pc-beliefs/555823/43 "2010-10-03T22:25:11Z")
> [@drachillix](#): > > #5 Big businesses should be allowed to fail, just like small ones. Yes it may suck for a while, but what comes out the other end will probably be a healthier more balanced business model. I’m not a big fan of anti-trust, but, given the recent rash of bailouts, I’m kind of coming around to the position thst “Too big to fail” is “too big to exist”. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2010, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/un-pc-beliefs/555823/44 "2010-10-03T22:45:02Z")
I believe that mini-brim fedoras mark the wearer as a young douchebag. Old white men wearing berets are Liberal douchebags, Greek fisherman’s caps if Conservative douchebags. pretty much everything I believe is un-PC, since there’s no political benefit to be gained from agreeing with someone like myself who realizes he’s so insignificant that buying a hat wouldn’t ameliorate it. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2010, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/un-pc-beliefs/555823/45 "2010-10-03T23:31:06Z")
> [@spark240](#): > > I agree, except that “multiculturalism” _means_ tolerating cultural differences–accommodating, not (necessarily) assimilating. I am _for_ multiculturalism _because_ I like diversity. I’m not a huge fan of multiculturalism when it requires tolerance of things that are completely foreign, alien, or offensive to the people whose country the minority has moved to. Food? Yes please! Songs, dances, and festivals? Absolutely. Centuries old feuds with people from the neighbouring foreign country? Errr… no, thanks. Arranged marriages, outdated or inappropriate attitudes towards women? Leave that sort of thing at home. Vehement disagreement with the majority religion or culture of the country you’ve moved to? You’re welcome to hold that view, but really, do try not to go around saying as much in public. You’re not going to do anyone any favours. ---
**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/un-pc-beliefs/555823/46 "2010-10-04T00:15:59Z")
> [@Martini\_Enfield](#): > > I’m not a huge fan of multiculturalism when it requires tolerance of things that are completely foreign, alien, or offensive to the people whose country the minority has moved to. > > Food? Yes please! Songs, dances, and festivals? Absolutely. Centuries old feuds with people from the neighbouring foreign country? Errr… no, thanks. Arranged marriages, outdated or inappropriate attitudes towards women? Leave that sort of thing at home. Vehement disagreement with the majority religion or culture of the country you’ve moved to? You’re welcome to hold that view, but really, do try not to go around saying as much in public. You’re not going to do anyone any favours. I don’t see how you get from the first paragraph to the second one. Even though I mostly agree with the second one. ---
**Author:** ![Rubik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/dec6dc/32.png) [@Rubik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubik)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/un-pc-beliefs/555823/47 "2010-10-04T00:18:14Z")
I don’t understand multi-culturalism, isn’t everyone deluded in their faith? Not just a buncha bible or qu’ran bashers. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/un-pc-beliefs/555823/48 "2010-10-04T00:24:43Z")
[quote=“Superfluous\_Parentheses, post:46, topic:555823”] The point I’m making is that I’m all in favour of Multiculturalism when it involves food, festivals, the exchange of ideas etc. I’m not in favour of an ethnic group demanding “special treatment” (in the form of tolerating or accepting some activity that the majority of people in the local area of their new country do not want to tolerate or accept) or crying “Racism!” if anyone disagrees with them too loudly. ---
**Author:** ![sisu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@sisu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sisu)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/un-pc-beliefs/555823/49 "2010-10-04T00:30:47Z")
> [@Rubik](#): > > I don’t understand multi-culturalism, isn’t everyone deluded in their faith? > > Not just a buncha bible or qu’ran bashers. Culture is more then religion. ---
**Author:** ![Rubik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/dec6dc/32.png) [@Rubik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubik)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/un-pc-beliefs/555823/50 "2010-10-04T00:35:47Z")
I know, but I don’t see anyone murder someone else for enjoying a few days off and having a street party. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/un-pc-beliefs/555823/51 "2010-10-04T00:41:07Z")
The term “political correctness” is a red herring. It was appropriated by people who wanted to continue to insult, in order to misrepresent politeness and consideration toward others as bowing towards a political orthodoxy (similar to the manner in which various totalitarian regimes discourage intellectual dissent). This had the advantage of reframing obnoxious douchebaggery as free speech, and thus obscuring the original insult that led to the desire for politeness and consideration in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/un-pc-beliefs/555823/52 "2010-10-04T00:48:31Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > The term “political correctness” is a red herring. It was appropriated by people who wanted to continue to insult, in order to misrepresent politeness and consideration toward others as bowing towards a political orthodoxy (similar to the manner in which various totalitarian regimes discourage intellectual dissent). This had the advantage of reframing obnoxious douchebaggery as free speech, and thus obscuring the original insult that led to the desire for politeness and consideration in the first place. The problem is that there are many things which lots of people don’t consider worthy of “Politeness” or “Consideration”. ---
**Author:** ![Gukumatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/74df32/32.png) [@Gukumatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gukumatz)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/un-pc-beliefs/555823/53 "2010-10-04T01:15:40Z")
The subsect of the world’s population who view and pitch the War on Terror as “the War on Islam [fundamentalism]” are dead wrong; it’s a war on arabs. What I mean to say is that there’s many ways to view the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, wherein oil war, revenge war, misinformed war, democracy-spreading war, oligarch war, punitive war, anti-terror war, etc, etc, are all valid and popular perspectives. But the subsect that believes that it’s the battleground of Christianity & Secularism VS. Islam [Fundamentalism] are conveniently choosing to ignore the fact that Arab countries don’t define Islam in numbers, popularity, rigidity or practice. In that light, it’s a war on arab culture (or perceived lack thereof). ---
**Author:** ![dhkendall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9adbd/32.png) [@dhkendall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dhkendall)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/un-pc-beliefs/555823/54 "2010-10-04T03:32:12Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > > [@dhkendall](#): > > > > Actually, I’ve been more keen to use “Native American” (or, as is more common in Canada, “First Nations” or “aboriginal”) merely because there’s another ethnic group (one of the world’s largest) called “Indian”, and there could be some confusion as to which is meant. At least the PC term for the American one helps differentiate them, there isn’t really a term, PC or not\* for the Asian variety. > > > > \*excluding downright insulting ones (like “raghead”) of course. (Wait, is “raghead” meant for wearers of the keffiyeh or turban, I get confused … ) > > That’s all true and I considered the American Indian/Indian issue as I was composing my post. In the end, though, most of the times I’ve been gently informed that I should call them Native Americans rather than American Indians it’s seemed to be in the same tone as “they prefer to be called little people”, etc. I think that sounding PC is a reason a great many people call them Natives rather than Indians. Heh, interesting you should bring the “little people” one up, I actually have a friend who is one (she’s 3’6", I’m 6’3", you should see the two of us side by side someday!). When I refer to her, I invariably use the term “dwarf” because that’s how she mostly refers to herself! At least when she’s around me and on stage - she’s a [standup comedian](http://tanyaleedavis.com/), so using un-PC terms on stage is more or less part of the job description, I’ve also seen her use “little people” on her Facebook updates referring to herself and her friends. Back to the natives, I also find it interesting that in this PC age the only people I now hear calling our indigenous people “Indians” are Christian organizations intent on ministering to them (yes, yes, I can hear you from here, they exist in this day and age) - “Indian Life Ministries”, etc. Even native-run businesses run for natives don’t have the term “Indian” in them. No one has ever accused the Church of being PC, but having this thread defend the non-PC term of “Indian”, thereby defending the Church’s use of it, makes me chuckle a bit. [quote=“lindsaybluth, post:42, topic:555823”] > [@turner](#): > > She cries when she doesn’t get her way. She fakes injuries, and she bawls enough to make herself throw up. She has a long career ahead of her as a soccer player … ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/un-pc-beliefs/555823/55 "2010-10-04T04:46:27Z")
> [@dhkendall](#): > > Back to the natives, I also find it interesting that in this PC age the only people I now hear calling our indigenous people “Indians” are Christian organizations intent on ministering to them (yes, yes, I can hear you from here, they exist in this day and age) - “Indian Life Ministries”, etc. Even native-run businesses run for natives don’t have the term “Indian” in them. No one has ever accused the Church of being PC, but having this thread defend the non-PC term of “Indian”, thereby defending the Church’s use of it, makes me chuckle a bit. How about the US Department of the Interior? [Bureau of Indian Affairs](http://www.bia.gov/) ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/un-pc-beliefs/555823/56 "2010-10-04T07:39:25Z")
[ul] [li]Used judiciously I think there are times the physical discipline of children is necessary and appropriate.[/li][li]People in other countries and cultures are not always “just like us” deep inside. There are large swaths of people who envy and despise us, and would gladly take everything we have by force if they could. The threat of force is the only thing that keeps them from our door.[/li][li]How physically attractive, and how economically well off a man is, is far more important than most women admit to in making their date and mate decisions.[/li][li]Over time Israel and it’s supporters have done a masterful job of placing and nurturing a huge network of friendly academics, journalists, politicians and bureaucrats throughout the US academic, media and political infrastructure. Israel has no real interest in peace at the expense of land, and plays the US like a cheap fiddle to get what it wants. While this is just realpolitik on one level, it’s very dangerous for the US to have a small tail wagging a large dog.[/li][li]With benefits calculated into the mix I think most public school teachers are paid more than sufficiently for the work they do. [/li][li]I think that children raised in single mother households are (not always, but on average) at a significant disadvantage vs children raised in two parent households.[/li][li]Now that girls outperform boys on practially every academic measure short of the upper levels of math, the fiction that girls are, or really ever were, at some sort of academic disadvantage due to sexist classroom dynamics is getting harder and harder to maintain.[/li][li]Until black males are re-integrated back in the in the black family as an integral part of the family structure, and not just sperm donors, overall black achievement levels will remain in the gutter.[/li][li]Most of the more extreme Tea Party hatred and disdain for President Obama is not because of his policies, it’s because he is black.[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/un-pc-beliefs/555823/57 "2010-10-04T14:09:59Z")
> [@astro](#): > > People in other countries and cultures are not always “just like us” deep inside. There are large swaths of people who envy and despise us, and would gladly take everything we have by force if they could. The threat of force is the only thing that keeps them from our door. How does this make them different from us? ---
**Author:** ![Tethered\_Kite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a5b964/32.png) [@Tethered\_Kite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tethered_Kite)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/un-pc-beliefs/555823/58 "2010-10-04T14:44:13Z")
White people are the world’s true minority. _Ducks and covers_ ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/un-pc-beliefs/555823/59 "2010-10-04T15:31:27Z")
I use a Mac. (Sorry. I’ll go quietly now.) ---
**Author:** ![kushiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbce88/32.png) [@kushiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kushiel)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/un-pc-beliefs/555823/60 "2010-10-04T15:41:33Z")
Sometimes, you can’t just help people. Sometimes, they just need to try and make it on their own and if they fail, they fail. Sometimes the above group is very large. There’s nothing else we can do to help Aboriginals in northern reserves in Canada. We’ve apologized. We’ve given reparation money. We’ve set up awesome scholarships and opportunities. We’ve given tax cuts. We’ve given a lot of autonomy to each reserve. _We need to let them sink or swim on their own now._ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/un-pc-beliefs/555823.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/un-pc-beliefs/555823.md?page=4)