Tag Archives: Political correctness

“In fact, it is easier for governments to control the spending of people in debt than those with savings. A person with financial resources is free, while debtors are hostage to their creditors.”H.S.H. Prince Michael of Liechtenstein The rare resilience and the economic and strategic prowess of the Principality of Liechtenstein have elevated the small alpine nation to a bright example internationally in terms of prudent governance. It offers countless lessons in long-term planning, in...

In 12 Rules for Life, Jordan Peterson argues for the kind of values instilled by a socially conservative parental home: Aim for paradise, but concentrate on today. Meaning is key, not happiness. Assume responsibility. Listen carefully, speak clearly, and tell the truth. And stand straight, even in the face of adversity. Here they are, Peterson’s 12 rules: Stand up straight with your shoulders back Treat yourself like you would someone you are responsible for helping Make friends with...

In the New Yorker, Nathan Heller reviews David Graeber’s “Bullshit Jobs.” In the course of Graeber’s diagnosis, he inaugurates five phyla of bullshit work. “Flunkies,” he says, are those paid to hang around and make their superiors feel important: doormen, useless assistants, receptionists with silent phones, and so on. “Goons” are gratuitous or arms-race muscle; Graeber points to Oxford University’s P.R. staff, whose task appears to be to convince the public that Oxford is a good school....

To counteract discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, the State of California prohibits state funded travel (for instance, by employees of the University of California) to states deemed to discriminate, including Kansas, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Tennessee.

US voters have abandoned political correctness. Have they also abandoned decency? They have clearly voted for “change.” Eight years ago, they did the same. They have voted against competence according to common standards. Maybe because they perceived competence to be correlated with “no change.” Maybe because they viewed competence as a weakness. Picking non-competent leaders can pay off in specific bargaining situations. In general, it is unlikely to pay off in the longer term. Race was...

Letters to the editor of The Economist lay out the pros and cons of curbing free speech. Some views: Who is “just” offensive should not be prosecuted.  Insulting religious feelings is ok, but not at a place of worship. Freedom of speech for the purpose of debate needs to protected, but not if it is only “intended to insult or inflame passions.” Clark Kerr, president of the University of California (1958–1967), defended free speech on campus with the wordsThe university is not engaged in...

In the NZZ, Andrea Köhler qualifies the micro aggression debate on US college campuses as a “witch hunt.” Um keine Missverständnisse aufkommen zu lassen: Der allgemeine Konsens, Diskriminierung zu ahnden, ist hier nicht gemeint. Selbstverständlich gilt es, traumatisierte Menschen zu unterstützen und Minoritäten zu schützen; letzteres hat das Attentat von Orlando einmal mehr deutlich gemacht. Doch die Hypersensibilität an den Universitäten unterminiert jede Form des intellektuellen...