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The language of political correctnes

What are the words one is no longer allowed to use?


Hello, Rumpel:

1. Political correctness changes with the times.

2. Here is an example for you:

a. Until about the last ten years, it was OK to say/write "illegal alien."

b. Then some people felt that it was unkind to imply that any human being was "illegal," and it was strange to refer to a human being as an "alien," a word that might describe an inhabitant of Mars, for example.


c. So the term "undocumented immigrant" became acceptable.


d. Some people then felt that "unauthorized immigrant" was more gentle than "undocumented."


e. Today, I have noticed that many people (including newspapers) simply use the word "migrants" or "immigrants." (Their legal status is ignored.)


*****


If you come to the United States to study or work, your American friends will help you avoid politically incorrect terms.
 
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When I lived in England for some time, I was an "Alien" as well - officially.
I even had a kind of passport to prove that I was an Alien.

I thought it quite funny.
And I was not offended.

Sometines I think some people make it their business to feel offended?
Or some convince others that they should feel offended?
 
generally, i've found that people who complain about political correctness are often just pissed off that they can't say racist / bigoted / misogynistic things in public without suffering personal consequences.


That seems to be so, but only in an anecdotal sense.

I have noticed that the only people who complain about “political correctness” on forums like this are the right, and the extreme right.

Everyone else expects civility.
 
N or M

The Tragœdy of Othello, The Moore of Venice >>> in German: Othello, der Mohr von Venedig

What about the use of the word "Moore"?
In Germany "Mohr" has become controversial.

The word is 'Moor', as in 'Moorish'. Not an insult or derogatory term, but a commonly used but archaic ethnic appellation; as in 'the Moorish architecture of Spain'.

Moorish | meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary
 
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When I lived in England for some time, I was an "Alien" as well - officially.
I even had a kind of passport to prove that I was an Alien.

I thought it quite funny.
And I was not offended.

Sometines I think some people make it their business to feel offended?
Or some convince others that they should feel offended?

Alien/foreigner. No difference.
 
I'm sure there are. I know some.



Every culture has words that are "socially banned," as they should. Political correctness is just another word for thinking about your audience before you open your mouth. I am 100% in favor of political correctness because without social enforcement of good manners, we run the risk of triggering government enforcement of good manners, which I am 100% against.

I would rather say:

These PC people don't care at all for the minorities that they claim to protect. They couldn't care less about them.
Their main thing is about lecturing other people about what to say and what not to say.
And look down on them.
And think: "I am holier than thou!"
That's what PC is all about.
 
I would rather say:

These PC people don't care at all for the minorities that they claim to protect. They couldn't care less about them.
Their main thing is about lecturing other people about what to say and what not to say.
And look down on them.
And think: "I am holier than thou!"
That's what PC is all about.

Do you even know where the phrase "politically correct" came from? If you can properly answer that question, the reason for its existence becomes pretty apparent. Lets just say it had nothing to do with a holier than thou attitude and more to do with keeping ones political life off of life support.
 
Lets just say it had nothing to do with a holier than thou attitude

I beg to differ ...

Maybe the origins of the expression "politically correct" are honourable.

But the way those "politically correct" people now behave, that is "holier than thou" in the extreme.
 
I would rather say:

These PC people don't care at all for the minorities that they claim to protect. They couldn't care less about them.
Their main thing is about lecturing other people about what to say and what not to say.
And look down on them.
And think: "I am holier than thou!"
That's what PC is all about.

Only for a small minority. Political correctness is the social enforcement of good manners. Good manners are good for society. But like all manners, political correctness can be taken too far by people struggling with self-esteem issues. When you believe that your good manners are the only thing that makes you worthwhile to society, you become rather militant in their enforcement. You have to learn to ignore the activist who is emotionally devastated if you accidentally misgender someone, just as you learn to ignore the old lady who takes personal offense at your using your salad fork to eat your entree. They have their own issues. You don't have to make them your issues.
 
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