I think that the term "political correctness" was originally coined by leftists back in the 1960s or 1970s to poke fun of sectarianism run amuck. But yes, this term has long since been hijacked by the Right, so with possibly, a handful of exceptions, there is little point in progressives using this term, since its usage generally gives aid and comfort to reactionaries.
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---------- Original Message ---------- From: "Carrol Cox" <cbcox at ilstu.edu> To: <lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org> Subject: [lbo-talk] On the term, "Political correctness" Date: Tue, 20 Aug 2013 12:04:38 -0500
I believe I have responded negatively, I hope in fact I have responded quite nastily, to anyone on this list who used the term "political correctness." My position was that the term could not be separated from reactionary politics, and for leftists to use it (in any tone) was to give aid and comfort to the enemy. Sometimes language can be resisted, thereby wrenching a term from its established meaning, but this is not true of the term "political correctness." It is impossible to empty it of reactionary import.
>From Harper's weekly review:
... and a federal judge ruled that the stop-and-frisk tactics employed by the New York City Police Department amount to racial profiling and violate the Constitution. "When it comes to policing," said Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who opposed the decision, "political correctness is deadly."
That is (as it were) the _correct_ use of the term, and any leftists who uses the term gives aid and comfort to those who, like Bloomberg, use it for really vicious purposes.
Carrol
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