Scourge of the PC gang
I AM intrigued by the supposedly pejorative use of the term “Political Correctness”.
Various definitions I have researched centre on this term being used to suppress support for minority or progressive reform.
When I was young Australians openly described themselves as egalitarian and believing in the “Fair Go”. Back then this meant literally that we were in the main devoid of the class divisions of Britain.
For me this literally meant being the first in my working class male line to ever get a university degree.
The Whitlam government’s removal of university fees and granting of scholarships for kids like me facilitated this outcome.
My family would never have been able to raise the money to send me to university. Is it politically correct to use taxes collected from profits, capital gains and progressively from the more wealthy to grant the right to a tertiary education to kids from poor and disadvantaged backgrounds?
Almost by definition the term PC implies imposition of the views and values of the majority and by extension the most wealthy on those from racial, sexual and political minorities. Those that value preservation of the natural world ahead of exploitation to extinction (perhaps of ourselves).
Those who use the term PC do it to place themselves in a socially superior position; only their opinion counts. They see themselves as born to rule.
They detest restrictions made on them to prevent them screwing over the limited remaining natural environment for their personal gain. (Cotton farmers water theft, desperate graziers clearing remnant habitat).
They detest restrictions that prevent them polluting their neighbours property or more often his river water. (Agricultural fertiliser run-off).
Equality of opportunity and equality of income has been in decline in this country since the mid-1970s.
Those that use the term Political Correctness want to preserve their vested interests in the interests of their children “getting ahead” of the pack.
This term is code for preserve today’s discriminations because they are in my selfish interests. They always vote with only their interests as the decision criteria. Screw the minorities. Screw the poor and disadvantaged. Screw the environment.