Dear Mr. Wei, It would take a disquisition as long as John M. Ellis's "Literature Lost: Social Agendas and the Corruption of the Humanities" (Yale University Press, 1997) to educate you on American PC, so I suggest you take time off from the Pound list to read it. ==DP At 07:07 AM 8/6/00 GMT, you wrote: >Dan P. wrote: > ><<I do not know your cultural background, Wei, but if you are not familiar >with the moralistic and political totalizing effects of the Political >Correctness atmosphere in present-day America, then nothing can help.>> > >==Dan P>> > >Putting my cultural background to the side for the moment, I should say that >during the last twenty years of my life, about two thirds of that time has >been spent teaching and studying in educational institutions in the US. I >have encountered the term "political correctness" many times before, and >have read numerous articles about so-called "PC" in newspapers, magazines, >and journals. But I have yet to find that any two people have a similar >definition or close understanding of the term. This is why I ask you the >question. I was hoping you would provide your own example, in addition to >your previous definition of PC [ the " . . . downgrade of all elites in >favor of the always-oppressed little guy of every stripe and color." ] > >Above you refer to the "the moralistic and political totalizing effects of >the Political Correctness," an interesting phrase, which I think, presumes >agreement with an unstated premise. > HOME: Dan Pearlman 102 Blackstone Blvd. #5 Providence, RI 02906 Tel.: 401 453-3027 email: [log in to unmask] Fax: (253) 681-8518 http://www.uri.edu/artsci/english/clf/ OFFICE Department of English University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI 02881 Tel.: 401 874-4659