Saturday, November 19, 2016

Etymology - Politicly Correct

Found over at Q&O a nice article on the origins and current status of political correctness. Ever wonder where the expression came from?
“The notion of political correctness came into use among Communists in the 1930s as a semi-humorous reminder that the Party’s interest is to be treated as a reality that ranks above reality itself,” Dr. Codevilla writes in the Fall 2016 issue of the Claremont Review of Books.
Dr. Codevilla indicates that the politically correct directive began word-of-mouth as a running joke that communists told each other that went like this:
“Comrade, your statement is factually incorrect.”
“Yes, it is. But it is politically correct.”
In the 30s under Stalin being politically incorrect would get you a one-way ticket to Siberia, if you were lucky. Funny how that sort of black humor has enjoyed a resurgence in the Obama administration.

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