The Left, Political Correctness and Cult Behavior

Frontpage ^ | April 10, 2017 | Carl Lasner

[detective]

Michael Savage famously said that liberalism is a mental disorder. I think it is more precise to say that liberalism is a cult. Isolation, threats and routine shaming all serve to silence cult members who cross them, exactly as happens with political correctness. The dreaded label of racist or bigot chills most opposition. Those closest to you will ostracize you for expressing an incorrect view, exactly as in a cult. Eventually, the inclination is to censor what you not only say but what you think. Most people upon being intimidated will rein in their perceptions and even their curiosity because the pain of social isolation is so terrifying. And as in a cult, there is a reflexive herd effect in which an almost unanimous consensus sees the offender as crazy or beyond the pale. It is far easier to create a new world in a void created by the silence of political correctness.

I heard David Horowitz state recently that political correctness serves to bring conformity, a lockstep in behavior. While that is clearly true, my belief is that conformity is a symptom and the disease is far more insidious. I think the primary purpose of political correctness is to corrupt character. When I read Solzhenitsyn, one of the most chilling aspects of the gulag was the practice of forcing someone to agree with behavior that the targeted person knew was wrong. Self awareness of participating in a lie would cause that individual to feel compromised morally and to therefore lose the will to resist. For me, this is evil at its essence -- a human being submits to self betrayal and can no longer feel worthy to fight back. 

[generally]

Thank you for both posts. Great points.

[mrsmel]

And how many students, at least a few who had to have been conservative, have disrupted speeches by the likes of Bill Clinton, even when they were speaking at graduation ceremonies and the like, where they had more or less a captive audience?

[DungeonMaster]

“In my study of communist societies, I came to the conclusion that the purpose of communist propaganda was not to persuade or convince, not to inform, but to humiliate; and therefore, the less it corresponded to reality the better. When people are forced to remain silent when they are being told the most obvious lies, or even worse when they are forced to repeat the lies themselves, they lose once and for all their sense of probity. To assent to obvious lies is...in some small way to become evil oneself. One's standing to resist anything is thus eroded, and even destroyed. A society of emasculated liars is easy to control. I think if you examine political correctness, it has the same effect and is intended to.” ― Theodore Dalrymple

I swear I read this quote here on FR after Obama's millionth humiliating lie about the Right and/or Christianity.

[HotHunt]

Political correctness is cultural Marxism.

It was invented by the Left to stifle opposing views and to shame people into agreeing with them.

I've always taken the position that since I am not a politician, I do not have to be "politically correct".

If liberals dare tell me I can't say something they don't agree with, I just tell them to "f**k off".

So far, this tack seems to be working for me.

Short History Of Political Correctness

[DeweyCA]

In contrast to the author, I would say that there are 4 types of liberals. The first type are the elites (those in power and those who identify with them and who desire to be in power). They want power and often the money that comes with it. Three of the author’s categories belong to this group. The second type are the do-gooder liberals who have simply have been brainwashed by the media. The third type are the greedy cronies who want to get rich from their connections in the government. They are more concerned about getting money than getting power. The fourth type are the greedy moochers who want to get the free stuff that the elites have promised.

[gspurlock]

There is nothing new about political correctness.

“Be not intimidated...nor suffer yourselves to be wheedled out of your liberties by any pretense of politeness, delicacy, or decency. These, as they are often used, are but three different names for hypocrisy, chicanery and cowardice.” - John Adams

[detective]

Solzhenitsyn documented similar behavior in the former Soviet Union. From the article:

“When I read Solzhenitsyn, one of the most chilling aspects of the gulag was the practice of forcing someone to agree with behavior that the targeted person knew was wrong. Self awareness of participating in a lie would cause that individual to feel compromised morally and to therefore lose the will to resist. For me, this is evil at its essence — a human being submits to self betrayal and can no longer feel worthy to fight back.”

Bella Dodd and others have identified this behavior in the American Communist Party.  

[mainestategop]

Its public school indoctrination.