The Dubious Origins of ‘Political Correctness’

A lot of the ideas (or dare I say ‘myths’) of political correctness seem to have very dubious origins.

People often comment that- ‘ You aren’t allowed to say _(whiteboard, ba ba blacksheep, substitute to taste)_ anymore because it can cause offence’. On one very simple level, what is it about these examples that has only led people to assume that they are offensive now? Is it perhaps because people actively go looking to find a new taboo and if this is the case – should we not question their motives?

What is more -the sources of these ubiquitous myths seem often to be missing. Is there a social or media police that decides on this – it is a collective consciousness? (For fear of advancing an almost Orwellian conspiracy, I must state that I dont think it is).  Is it the ‘minorities’ speaking up? Or more interestingly is it used by those who deplore political correctness to such an extent  that they fabricate these myths themselves to provide a counter-argument to their own views ; citing and subsequently attacking the very examples they create?

This happens in just in the same way that Euromyths concerning EU ‘banana regulations’ (in the hope to portray the EU as bureaucratic, pendantic and trivial) are often circulated by eurosceptics. The infantile alliteration of ”Brussels bureaucrats ban bananas!” seeks to solidify myths and received opinions into hard facts, an advancing a political argument that is flawed from the outset. 

This ‘Straw Man’ approach to the question of political correctness is often overlooked.  Even the wording of the term – ‘political correctness’ (often arbitrarily capitalised) suggests a need to reaffirm itself by giving it a semblance of rigour by giving it an attachment to ‘politics’ and governmental institutions.

I am all for a more carefully considered approach towards how people present issues of race, gender and sexuality; trying to limit any unnecessary offence caused. However this should not interfere with ones right to free speech, and I think an overemphasis on political correctness is not the right way to do it. By placing limits on what people are allowed to say or think, this does not make them more sympathetic to your cause, it more often has a claustrophobic effect on them.  I have noticed that in extreme cases this mutates into frustrated nationalism, thus ‘political correctness’ has a tendency to increase tensions further.

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