Is political correctness nothing more than subtle Leftist censorship?

Hate crimes are not anything related to thought control -- at least, no more than the distinction between any intentional crime and any negligent crime -- hate crimes just punish a more severe mental state differently than a lesser mental state.

So your analogy is not valid -- but your basic premise is not too far off the mark -- political correctness is a way of censoring people by peer pressure -- of telling people that it is not acceptable to think and feel in a socially unpopular way -- and it's rarely subtle.

But that's different than the hate crime issue -- because a hate crime doesn't punish you for thinking hateful thoughts -- it punishes someone for attempting to harm an entire category of people -- that's a specific criminal mental state, COMBINED with an direct attack against a representative of that target group -- very different than simply punishing someone based on their beliefs.

Very good question. However, I wouldn't call "hate crimes" a form of thought control. I think the invention of "hate laws" is not only the most unconstitutional laws in America, but they are among the most blatantly RACIST laws on the books. They send the message that when a white man attacks a black man with superior intellect, the black man is too undisciplined to control his emotions and rage, and then there is no stopping the physical retaliation. The law (the liberals believe) is to prevent the white man from provoking the uncontrolable physical response of the black man.

As you can see these laws are completely racist.

I used to work in an office where the lilly-livered management would turn apoplectic if you advocated holding everyone to some basic standard of performance and behavior.

Oh no! That could be interpreted as racist! Or sexist! Or it might somehow infringe on their religious beliefs. We can't actually tell people that they are using their gender or ethnic background as a shield to deflect well-deserved criticism.

As a result of PC behavior, you couldn't state the obvious.

We were subjected to the indignity of taking a day-long course in "diversity training", where we learned that "Alice" isn't shirking her responsibilities; she is from a culture that is different from mainstream American practices. "Rashid" isn't surly and rude. That is typical of his background. Embrace these wonderful differences.

Well, you get the picture...

In response, I wrote this response to the PC insanity of diversity training:

Instead of diversity training, we need conformity training. We already have enough people making lame excuses for why they don’t do what they’re instructed to do.

Conformity training would be a more productive and thought provoking class. Issues could include:

I have been told to do something. How can I do it without making excuses such as: “I forgot”, “Are we still supposed to do that?” “I didn’t understand the instructions”, or “I haven’t gotten around to that yet”.

Our office asks us to follow certain procedures. How can I follow them without making a big stink about every little, nitpicky thing that doesn’t suit my particular preferences?

I have equipment. How can I take at least minimal care and responsibility for it, and learn the basics to use the equipment efficiently?

Conformity training could also stress such topics such as how it is in everyone’s interest to complete a simple 15-second task instead of making someone else waste half an hour or more to compensate for that person’s apathy and laziness. Conformity training should teach the benefits of following the plainly written instructions detailed in an e-mail, instead of forcing the sender to keep sending the same message month after month after month.

Let’s face it: “Diversity” is just a laughable justification for people explaining away their laziness and stupidity under the guise that their screw ups are just a reflection of their gender, or ethnic background. It should go in the trash heap of discarded corporate ideas, such as power ties, and how the computer would give us the paperless office.

Instead of enduring peoples’ inconceivable laziness and the inhumanly stupid behavior, we should be holding them to a high standard, and accepting nothing less. Irresponsible behavior shouldn’t be condoned as the norm. People should not be coddled when all they are asked to do follow instructions purposely written at a sixth grade level, for their convenience.

Bluntly stated, this PC waste of time called "diversity training" is another excuse for people to not do any real work. Certain people love idle meetings that take them away from real work and the need to actually think. It’s just like congressmen who live to be part of judicial review panels so they can expound on pointless subjects such as Clinton’s immorality instead of performing the hard, tedious work of drafting logical and feasible legistlation.

Worrying about “diversity” has made the formerly commonplace practically impossible. Everything has become pointlessly controversial.

Enough of this ridiculous focus on “diversity” and cultural sensitivity! ! We have enough fragmentation as it is.

Let’s center our attention on what needs to be standardized, on behavior that needs to be remedied, and on basic skills and knowledge that everyone should be expected to have.

Sure is a way of making sure that only one side can be heard.

It is PC not to mention or think of a group by race, religion or sex.

Yet they are all over the Christian Right males.

Here is something to consider.

We accept Black channels ie BET

What would happen if one came out and said White channel WET?

Republicans many times are no longer for government controlled censorship. they're for persons or companies censoring themselves for uncomplicated decency and etiquette, yet any government censorship could be heavily constrained. Your examples are of poorly thinking Republicans applying Democrat suggestions to their problems. Republicans could disown any member who needs the government to bypass regulations to resolve their own grievances.

I got tired half way down your responses to the first answerer, so I apologize if I don't get something.

"Political Correctness" is a myth. There is no true definition, and no one with the authority to monitor the "correctness" of anything. It has been a cliché for at least fifteen years, probably longer.

And, remember, it was the Right that took Bill Maher's show "Politically Incorrect" for saying the wrong thing. So, if you do choose to believe in political correctness, then you have to blame both sides for it.

I call it political incorrect-ness! Hate crime law is simply meant to penalize freedom of speech and if a Non African American says the N word you go to jail, meanwhile a black can rape someone and go to jail 3 years!...it is an absurd law, in that blacks use this word daily... and sticks stones rule....not jail-able offense, I'm sorry!....this law wants to send someones speech "crime" to jail for 5 year, Excuse me I thought we had freedom of speech, I guess only if your Black do you have freedom of speech,,, Ridiculous!

...if it is about a felony killing ,rape ,,,that is a hate crime anyway so how much Deader can you be than the Death penalty! ;l..Moot point!

A: No, it is not.

For those with maturity, intelligence and a sufficient vocabulary, "political correctness" is a non-entity; a chimera.

All people in a free society benefit when discourse is civil, which means that it should be reasoned, fact-filled, literate, specific, and respectful of the moral standards of the majority. Let us think and speak clearly and with the best of intentions.

Honesty doesn't mean a complete gut-spilling, nor does it require that harsh or cruel words be used to convey one's honest thoughts.

Thoughts or opinions need not be expressed in the most offensive way.

It depends on the extremity of it. I'm fine with some simple niceties to keep things polite, but sometimes you go too far.

Example (I'll probably offend someone. Oh well). Now you can't call a genuine "retard" a "retard." I'm not talking about calling someone you disagree with a retard, but I've been chastised for referring to someone who is mentally retarded as such. I didn't make them that way. I'm not trying to be mean, I'm just calling an apple red.

Some might say now we have to call them, "mentally challenged," or whatever. It's the same thing, different word. In practice it means nothing because that one has been around long enough now that everyone knows "mentally challenged" is the same thing as retard, and so it isn't really any nicer anyways.

Pointless.

Yes it is!

"In rational debate, the argument against something is that it is false not that it is hurtful. But political correctness has poisoned the climate for dealing with difficult issues and has returned us to the days when a sufficient counter-argument was that an idea was contrary to doctrine. A democracy that cannot tolerate debate on controversial issues cannot function." -Tom Tancredo on PC

Hate crimes are a joke too. Just there to give certain groups (gays, minorities) the feeling that the democrats are there to protect them, when in reality, a crime is a crime. Regardless of the motivation. The real kicker is, blacks are 50 times more likely to commit a hate crime against a white person, than vice versa. Yet, most of the crimes that actually get labeled hate crimes or get coverage by the media, are hate crimes committed by whites on other minorities.