From: jmorriso@ee.ubc.ca (John Paul Morrison)
Subject: Re: Seattle, anyone?
Organization: University of BC, Electrical Engineering
Date: Mon, 24 Aug 1992 02:17:44 GMT

In article <1992Aug23.203321.10023@sfu.ca> probst@fraser.sfu.ca (Scott Probst) writes:
>In article <1992Aug23.174730.4306@ee.ubc.ca> jmorriso@ee.ubc.ca (John Paul Morrison) writes:
>>In article <1992Aug21.203735.11260@sfu.ca> probst@fraser.sfu.ca (Scott Probst) writes:
>>>In article <1992Aug21.202345.24264@cs.ubc.ca> hassan@cs.ubc.ca (Moustafa M Hassan) writes:
>>>>********************************************************************
>>>>* Moustafa Hassan          |                                       *
>>>>* hassan@cs.ubc.ca         |  Political correctness is a euphemism *  
>>>>* TEL/FAX: (604) 535-2826  |  for intellectual stagnation.         *
>>>>********************************************************************
>>>
>>>just thought is worth a comment: "political correctness" doesn't exist,
>>>except in the minds of those who want to dismiss pressure to stop
>>>treating the world as if it exists in convenient, predetermined categories
>>>that allow us to easily dismiss the rights of others. "political 
>>>correctness" was invented by those who refuse to open themselves to
>>>change.
>>
>>
>>Ah yes! What a politically incorrect faux-pas! After all, by calling you
>>"politically-correct" we are in fact defining you, which is A Bad Thing,
>>according to all the deconstructionist-postmodern types. By defining you
>>this way, we are taking away your "empowerment", we are limiting you, and
>>trying to use the Establishment to oppress you. By trying to control the 
>>language that defines you, we are taking away your right to define yourself.
>>IF you can't define yourself in your own lingustic and socio-cultural terms,
>>you will only see yourself in negative, oppressive terms of all us White
>>Males.
>
>... a lot cut, but you get the picture. actually, i tend not to include myself
>as part of the "cultural left" - another nice phrase. what i was getting at
>was more attitude and motivation behind using such labels, which is revealed
>aplenty by you. by using cheap measures of what i mean, such as race, to sup-
>posedly cut down what i was saying, i think the discussion is being badly short-
>changed. i think the main shortcoming of labels such as "pc" is that they
>are a way for people not to address the real issues underlying the talk. if
>you wanted to actually address any particular issue, that would be great.

What on earth do you mean?? Do you mean to say that I am a racist because I
mentioned  race? If you don't see the parody of the "white-
European males" statement, I really don't know what you are thinking.

I am not "cheapening" the discussion (much). I was basically criticizing
the typical PC manner of thinking:

1. every aspect of white European culture is evil and oppressive
2. any non-white, non-European descent person who does not believe (1)
   has been co-opted by said white European culture.
3. any white European descent person who does not believe (1) and (2) is
   a fascist who is part of The Establishment; and probably has pictures
   of David Duke and Pat Buchannan over his fireplace. ;-)

perhaps this is slightly exagerated, but you get the point.

I see your point about using the label Politically Correct as a smokescreen.
But you are guilty of using race as a smokescreen, instead of taking on
the points I DID bring up.

So the PC label doesn't address the real issue. Part of the PC issue is 1, 2,
and 3. There's also a bit of the linguistic babble that everyone pokes fun at.
However, as far as I see it, the IMPORTANT issue is gauranteeing individual 
liberty and freedom, after all, racist or oppressive views won't work if
noone has the right to impose their views on others. This is often what
the PCers want, only in revers, and they'd often like the state to help
impose one set of views on an individual. 

Anxiously waiting for a point-by-point rebuttal about why my original 
article incorrectly described "Political Correctness". Might not have been
pretty but that's another matter.

>
>-- 
>Scott Probst: Brain and Behaviour Laboratory, Psychology dept, SFU
>              Graduate Issues Officer, Simon Fraser Student Society.
>e-mail: probst@fraser.sfu.ca - ph: (604) 291 3354/3181 - fax: (604) 291 5843
>              "yes, well, and here we go again..." - Dr H. S. Thompson


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__________________________________________________________________________
 John Paul Morrison                     |
 University of British Columbia, Canada |
 Electrical Engineering                 |   .sig closed for repairs 
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 jmorriso@ee.ubc.ca                     |
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