I accidentally sent the post below before I had completed it. But Carlo's post
includes all and more of what I might have said had I completed it, so I will let
it stand with just an additional footnote. Someone in this sequence spoke of
third-world residents anxious to come to the U.S. One could respond with a book
length account of their reasons (few of which are complimentary to the U.S.), but
I will content myself with a single anecdote. Back in the early '80s the local
CISPES group here sponsored a talk by an illegal from Guatemala. Half way through
his talk he broke down in tears and could not continue: his words had reminded
him too much of home, where he longed to be. He had fled to the U.S. to avoid
murder at the hands of U.S. trained Guatemalan military. I slightly emended the
post copied below.

Carrol
=========

Carrol Cox wrote:

Daniel Pearlman wrote:

> At 10:51 PM 8/13/00 EDT, you wrote:

> >fanatical left PC?  perhaps you could share with us some of the more
> >objectionable expressions of that -- and let people see how shallow your
> >mercenary soul really is.

> I'd be delighted to share my impressions of the fanaticism of the PC
> left.  For a start, I'd just reprint all your messages on this topic
> to date.  My mercenary soul must indeed be pretty shallow, because
> I can't figure out how to make any money from this conversation.
> But the real proof of my mercenary shallowness is having chosen
> academia for a career.  No money in that either.

I would still be interested in what "PC" means in any substantive way. It seems
so far in this list to be more the equivalent of an inarticulate cry of rage that
others dare to disagree. A note of history: the phrase entered the language as a
bit of humorous self-criticism within the women's movement back in the mid-80s.
It was a take-off from the phrase "correct-lineism," also a bit of humor within
the left in the '70s. The phrase "correct line" itself goes back to the metaphor
of the bricklayer's line -- a way of coordinating the work of many persons
working independently.

As far as I can tell in most instances the phrase is merely a way to justify
boorishness as rugged independence, as in "I know it's not PC, but women are
mostly sluts." Interestingly enough, a piece of really dull academic research I
did over 40 years ago throws some light on it. I did my dissertation as a survey
of criticism of Pope in the last quarter of th 19th century and the first half of
the 20th century, and I came across an amusing academic quirk. Essay after essay
repeated received opinion on Pope but presented it as a daring departure from
received opinion. This desire to be dull and conservative but to *appear* radical
and against the current seems most typical of two professions, journalism and the
university: i.e., those whose link to the world is purely verbal, with no
necessary reference to action.

Carrol