Britain 'Threatened' By PC Thinking

3rd January 2006

Political correctness is threatening British society, according to a social policy think-tank. Civitas blames PC attitudes for creating "Muslim ghettoes" which have produced young terrorists. Author Anthony Browne says political correctness has become a form of "soft totalitarianism".

He claims it has led to "moral cowardice" and "intellectual dishonesty".

"The politically correct truth is publicly proclaimed correct by politicians, celebrities and the BBC even if it is wrong," he says.

Although PC once had a purpose in preventing overt discrimination he argues it now "causes more harm than good" by suppressing the truth.

One example he gives is adherents of PC routinely blaming the explosion in the UK's HIV infection rate on teenagers having unsafe sex.

He says the "factually correct truth" is that the rise is largely down to the arrival of HIV positive African immigrants in Britain.

Other issues clouded by PC thought, Mr Browne suggests, include:

1. Women's pay being less than men's due to sex discrimination. He claims it is due to women making different work-life choices and taking childcare breaks.

2. African poverty due to the West not giving enough aid and failing to cancel debt. He says is due to bad governance and despotism in African countries.

Mr Browne says of political correctness: "By closing down debates, it restricts the ability of society to tackle the problems that face it."

Tuesday 3rd January 2006 - 10:24AM - Yahoo News