Also applicable to the U.S. (and if it's not, it might soon well be).

Previously, opinions were formed from direct observation and experience, class bias, or persuasion by others. The point of politics is that people voted for the ideology they felt most connected to, or could get the most out of. The pendulum swung lazily from center left to center right, but the ideology remained the same and was simply adapted to suit different classes and views.

Political correctness goes a lot further. It gives no choice and is not a topic for debate or one to be voted on. It's now inherent in all main political parties and its purpose is to change thought through language and laws. It is not an ideology in the classical sense, but rather a tool to produce one that would be unacceptable to voters in its present form. It uses the concept of equality through perceived feelings to produce a mass 'think alike' population. In that context, it uses behavioural psychology to socially engineer a population whose thoughts will echo those of the dominant political ideology, instead of endlessly trying to adapt an ideology to suit the individual, as previously.

In doing so it stifles free thinking and individual creativity. It proposes a vision of moral relativism (a revision of history based on politic thought), rather than reality. It creates a language for acceptable views and laws to prevent any deviation. Under political correctness the indigenous population shares a collective guilt and minorities become victims and 'feel' offended in the quest to produce a sameness. The desired utopia is an Orwellian based elite system of politicians, bankers and corporations, which would never be voted in unless individualism is collectivized.

Women become womyn, leaving out the 'men', which is considered sexist. A blackboard becomes a 'chalkboard' as it's deemed to be offensive to blacks and homosexuals are now the 'Gay and Lesbian Transgender Community' to prevent accusations of homophobia. The term England/English is replaced by 'British/United Kingdom', as it may offend those from former colonized countries . . . . . The major problem with this is in its continuation, which having become the norm, then requires laws for dissenters.

The 1986 UK Public Order Act, (s4), now makes it a criminal offence by feeling offended against:
a) Using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour causing fear of or provoking violence - section 4 of the Act;
b) Using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour, or disorderly behaviour intending to and causing harassment, alarm or distress - section 4a.

This breaks with English common law in that it leaves the police to decide if in effect an offence has been committed, who has been offended against and what constitutes being offended.

In short, this means a criticism of race, culture or religion that might cause offence, (disagreement), to others. The danger lies when and not just possibly if, politicians decide they are above criticism and that too must be banned. There are already signs of a one party State across the western world, in that whoever is voted for, nothing seems to change.

A quote from Mikhail Gorbachev, former leader of the USSR: "The most puzzling development in politics during the last decade is the apparent determination of Western European leaders to re-create the Soviet Union in Western Europe."

Quote from: The Observer on October 28, 2014, 06:20:46 PMA quote from Mikhail Gorbachev, former leader of the USSR: "The most puzzling development in politics during the last decade is the apparent determination of Western European leaders to re-create the Soviet Union in Western Europe."

That's a curious quote by Gorby.  Being one of the KGB's primary objectives was to do just that.  The subversive program was called "Demoralization".

Quote from: Dori on October 28, 2014, 09:17:11 PM
That's a curious quote by Gorby.  Being one of the KGB's primary objectives was to do just that.  The subversive program was called "Demoralization".

It was long after the fall of the USSR and he was referring to the European Union.