catzilla's post on 3-31-03.

"a discourse on "political correctness"

i hate the term politically correct. pc. "don't be so pc." it has roots in the communist movement at the beginning of the century, however, it has been redesigned by right think tanks. regardless of what it meant originally, and even then it strikes me as being questionable, it's become a way of silencing people who object to racist, sexist, otherwise bigoted behavior. it's a way of marginalizing the left by making them seem overconcerned with rhetoric and language. rather than being reasonable to object to a joke because it perpetuates racism, you're a pc thug or nazi. disagree with post-feminists in their determination that women have become damaged because we "want to be too much like men"? call men in your affinity group out on their machismo in pushing for tactics that everyone's not comfortable with, but are important for "serious" activist to do? object to the whiteness of the standard literary canon of "greats"?

"politically correct" is a pejorative taken out of right-wing vocabulary. it belittles the importance and power that language has in perpetuating hegemony. it delegitimizes criticism of subtler instances of sexist, racist, classist behavior. use of the term among leftists gives it legitimacy and suggests agreement with its purpose.

if you are able to set the terms of debate, you have already half won- anyone who comes up against you is already operating from the position of "other." we should not be accepting and supporting right-wing and status quo terms of debate, especially when our goal is to create a better, more democratic society."