Origins of Political Correctness

greydeadhead · Post by **greydeadhead** » Tue Oct 25, 2005 8:59 am

Interesting read.. in some respects it makes sense. By making the use of certain vocabulary "taboo" per se you are eliminating an aspect of freedom of speech. I just disagree with the way that a minority can assume control of the majority by claiming that a term can be derogatory or discriminatory.. and making me feel guilty for using that vocabulary is hypocritical.. especially when that segement of society uses those terms when it suits their purpose..

gmc · Post by **gmc** » Tue Oct 25, 2005 9:36 am

Have a re-read of 1984 by George Orwell. He was talking about how "newspeak" was used to control thought in a totalitarian state and it was stalinist russia he was talking about. The Nazis used the same techniques for the same purpose to control the way people thought about things and had the same origins. nazism was national socialism, the bastard son of socialist thought perhaps?

The subtle thing about it is that such techniques are not the exclusive preserve of the far left or even the far right. A lot of words are undergoing subtle changes-nothing new in that the english language evolves all the time. The most sriking one I find is how "liberal" in the US seems to have become synonynous with far left politics and state control, (correct me if I'm wrong I don't live there after all and I'm not convinced i have an accurate idea of what America is really like) while in the UK it still has most of it's original connotation as in someone who cherishes individual liberty and rights.