Category Archives: Politically Incorrect

Science is neutral, right?

Of course its reliable, based on fact, unprejudiced, and trustworthy, isnt it? Well, guess again. A lot of what passes for science these days is pseudo-science, and a lot of scientific fact is hidden from public view because its not politically correct.

Science has been politicizednot by the Right, but by the Left, which sees global warming, Darwinism, stem cell research, and innumerable other issues as tools to advance its agenda (and in many cases expand the reach of government).

When liberals trot out scientists with white coats, debate is supposed to be silenced. But many of the high priests of science have something to hidefrom blind intolerance of religion to jealous guarding of their federally financed research budgets.

Luckily, science journalist Tom Bethell is here with the necessary and bracing antidote: The Politically Incorrect Guide to Science.

Heres a handy one-volume guide to some of the most contentious issues of our day, including:

Why fears of nuclear power arent science, but unscientific scaremongering Why species are increasing, not disappearing Why global warming (and other temperature changes) are not caused by humans (remember the Ice Age?) Why embryonic stem cell research is snake oil medicine (which is why it needs government subsidies) Why Darwinism is crumbling Why the story line of the brave scientist Galileo versus an ignorant Church is wrong And much, much more

The Politically Incorrect Guide to Science busts myths, reveals hidden agendas, and lets you in on some of the little-known secrets about whats really going on in science. If youre tired of being hoodwinked by liberals who use science to justify all sorts of misbehavior, you need The Politically Incorrect Guide to Science.

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The Politically Incorrect Guide to Science - amazon.com

After J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Friday triggered a row with her observations over 'Indian flag' her alliance partners in the State, Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), Saturday tried to set the record straight by claiming that the statement of the Chief Minister was not happily worded as bearing national flag in the State is an honour for all citizens.

"Statement of Chief Minister of J&K on Article 35 (A) doesn't depict true picture and is politically incorrect. Every person of the State is first an Indian and then a State subject and nationalism of the people of the State can't be understated or misstated by linking it with continuation of Art 35 A, the State unit of the BJP said in a written statement.

Participating in a discussion in New Delhi Understanding Kashmir a composite dialogue on peace, stability and a way forward, Mehbooba Mufti had warned that any change in Article 35(A) of the Constitution, which gives a special State provision to Jammu & Kashmir and is being debated in the Supreme Court would not be in favour of the people living in the Valley and would invite repercussions.

Article 35(A) of the Constitution empowers the state legislature to define permanent residents and accord special rights and privileges to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

"Any tampering with Article 35(A) won't be acceptable. I won't hesitate in saying that nobody will even carry the corpse of the National Flag in Kashmir, if it happens.

However, to avoid flare up of tensions between the alliance partners at this crucial juncture the State BJP spokesman said their party stands by Agenda of Alliance and won't seek alteration of existing Constitutional position, but it is equally true that Article 35(A) has created more harm to the State than any other provision of law.

At the same time the BJP spokesman while questioning the statement of the Chief Minister said that few thousands of terrorists and separatists who are raising a revolt against the country and causing disturbances in the Valley, at the behest of Pakistan, ISI and ISIS does constitute the Kashmir Valley and Jammu & Kashmir State is not Kashmir Valley alone; the State constitutes Jammu and Ladakh also and Kashmir merely constitutes its 16 per cent area.

"The majority of the population in Jammu & Kashmir are nationalists and committed to uphold the integrity of the country and believe that their interests and aspirations are safe as being Indians, the BJP spokesman said.

Meanwhile, reacting to the statement of Mehbooba Mufti Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee spokesman Ravinder Sharma said that no one has right to insult the National Flag as great sacrifices and nations honour and pride is attached to it.

Congress spokesman also questioned the BJP to explain what kind of freedom of idea is being advocated by their coalition partner and Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and said that she has lost right to continue in office.

The National Panthers Party (NPP) said Jammu &Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti's remark on the Indian flag is unacceptable and amounts to violation of the Indian Constitution. "Does she even know what 35 (A) is? It was not created by the Parliament. It was an amendment made in 1954 by the then President of India on the recommendation of then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru," NPP leader Bhim Singh said.

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BJP: Mehbooba's words are politically incorrect - Daily Pioneer

Conservative Review

Adam Carolla drops politically incorrect truth bomb about family Conservative Review Testifying before Congress Thursday on the state of free speech on college campuses, comedian and filmmaker Adam Carolla made a profound observation that will doubtlessly please social conservatives. Asked by Rep. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., what ...

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Adam Carolla drops politically incorrect truth bomb about family - Conservative Review

In a new video, we count down through five of the most politically incorrect pieces of marketing to come out of China in recent years.

The digital age has brought about a social justice revolution. Calls worldwide have been deafening for greater scrutiny on brands to censor potentially offensive content. Due to the power of vocal online communities, a poorly received campaign going viral can severely tarnish a companys image within hours, meaning that advertisers have to keep more culturally aware than ever.

As the leading market in Asia, a lot of attention is focused intently on China. However, though the country's financial growth has been phenomenal, the evolution of its creative marketing content has faced problems. Clearly, China is not the only APAC country with problematic advertising, but as seen in this video, outrageous claims, overt sexualisation, and a lack of modern sensitivity are fairly regular occurrences. If China wants to stay ahead of competing nations in the region, avoiding brand mishaps like these will be extremely important.

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Top 5 politically incorrect ads | Analysis | Campaign Asia - Campaign Asia-Pacific

Far-right trolls have been trying to distort the results of the Governments first LGBTsurvey.

The initiative, which was launched by the Government Equalities Office, is designed to be an opportunity for LGBT+ people to have their say on the future of the Governments equality policies.

More than 60,000 people have already responded to the consultation, which opened on Sunday and ends in October, but there are fears that it may be derailed by false submissions written by users of internet forum 4chan.

One user posted a link to the survey on the sites /pol/ section, where users post politically incorrect comments, and urged others to troll it with racist and homophobic responses.

Another user said people on the site should make sure to fill this in and f*** it up lads the 'conservative' party wants to bring in more anti freedom pro degenerate policies again [sic].

Another said: What a lot of people did yesterday was identifying as a Muslim transperson and pointing out anti LGBT behaviour in the Muslim community.

Other users said they should attempt to spread Islamophobia through the survey by creating an authentic LGBT person and blame all oppression on Muslims.

Others suggested sending obviously fake responses to the survey.

After being posted to 4chan, where users can post comments to its forums anonymously, the idea appeared to spread to neo-Nazi website Stormfront, PinkNews reported.

One said they had written living as a pedosexual [sic] ferret is rough guys and another said they were a level 28 gender druid.

The Government said it was aware that there were "fake" responses to the survey and is working to delete the false entries.

A spokeswoman for the Equality Office said the best way to combat the problem was for LGBT people to take the survey "so that any erroneous responses only ever make up a small proportion of the total".

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Far-right 'trying to ruin the Government's LGBT survey' with false submissions - The Independent

The other night, I was watching Mel Brooks' hilariously funny Blazing Saddles, possibly the most politically incorrect movie ever made. The n-word is used more often in the opening scenes than Donald Trump says "trust me" in a week.

Yet somehow, it isn't really offensive, because the movie is poking fun at us and our weaknesses as a society.

Every sexist and racist stereotype is gleefully invoked, parodied and thereby, effectively demolished.

When it was over, I suddenly realized something: Sadly, that movie could never be made today. Not because we are more enlightened, but because we no longer are self-confident enough as a people and a nation to laugh at ourselves.

Not that everything was peachy when Blazing Saddles was being made. The film was released when the country was neck-deep in the Watergate scandal. Inflation was rising. America's participation in the Vietnam War had ended just a year earlier, and we all knew it was a horrible failure.

Yet we still believed in the idea of America, that this was the best nation in the world. The next year, when the tottering corpse of South Vietnam finally collapsed, we took in thousands of refugees. We knew immigrants had made this nation great.

Not anymore.

Flash forward four decades, to a nation whose president won his office in large part by stirring up everything in the dark recesses of the American soul. That meant, first of all, attacking immigrants and blaming them for society's ills.

Donald Trump ran the nastiest anti-immigrant campaign this nation has seen since the Know Nothing movement back before the Civil War. He managed to make millions feel that Muslims were terrorists and Mexicans drug dealers and rapists.

What's more, he made people feel that immigrants, legal as well as illegal, were taking their jobs, and vowed to crack down on immigration and get Americans their jobs back.

Enough people in the right places believed him to put him in the White House. Yes, we will be sorting out and dealing with the ramifications of that for the rest of our lives.

We can, as a result, only hope that the babies being born this year will someday live in a United States of America with a government they can be proud of.

But that's not the topic today. Immigration is.

What I fear is that people will still believe Trump's lies about immigrants and immigration even after he is discredited and disgraced, is hauled out of office, is defeated, dies, or decides to leave of his own accord. So now, here's the truth:

Immigrants are right now perhaps more than ever the best thing to happen to Michigan.

They create more jobs than native-born Americans. They improve communities, start businesses, and invent things needed to make us economically competitive again.

That's been clear to everyone who worked with immigrant communities for a long time. But now, we have documented proof of that. Earlier this month, the Michigan Economic Center, a non-profit based in Ann Arbor, released a carefully researched study on immigration's impact on this state.

The study, "Michigan: We Are All Migrants Here," conclusively shows that we would be in a lot worse shape without the immigration we've had in recent years.

John Austin, who was until January president of the State Board of Education, founded the center and is a main author of the study. "Michigan relies on legal immigrants to grow our economy, and we literally cannot afford policies that discourage them from coming, or that chase away those who are here," he says.

The study, which Austin did in collaboration with former State Rep. Steve Tobocman's group Global Detroit, effectively exposes many myths about immigrants as blatant lies.

Far from being a drain on Michigan, immigrants are essential to its economy. Detroit hasn't stopped losing people in the last few years, but the outflow has slowed dramatically.

This is, however, almost entirely due to immigrants. Detroit's immigrant population grew by 13 percent between 2010 and 2014; the native-born kept heading for the exits.

Statewide, the picture was much the same; Michigan's foreign-born population has grown nearly 25 percent since 2002 which more than accounts for what growth there's been.

That doesn't mean they are taking over. Far from it; Michigan has the smallest percentage of its population born outside this country of any state except Louisiana.

That's only 650,000 people, or just over six percent. But as Austin likes to say, economically they "punch above their weight." About 31,000 are self-emplyed, and they employ some 150,000 people.

Immigrants are, the study says, responsible for nearly all the net new growth in mid-sized, "Main Street" businesses.

They aren't just running hotels and hiring counter help; they are creating the economy of the future. Immigrants are behind 25 percent of the state's high-tech startups.

They are the owners or co-owners of more than three-quarters of the patents issued to the state's top research universities. They are, on average, better educated than the native-born, especially in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) areas and jobs.

They are, in short, Detroit and Michigan's economic future if we are to have one. Gov. Rick Snyder can be a bumbler, but he understood that much; to his credit, he tried (unsuccessfully) in 2014 to get Washington to give Michigan 50,000 extra visas for skilled or highly educated immigrants.

To be sure, some immigrants aren't well-educated; one of the curious findings of the study was that while immigrants on average have more education than the native born, a higher percentage of them have less than a high school degree.

But the study notes that "research strongly indicates ... that far from being an economic drain, these immigrants are important to many Michigan industries," because they are willing to do the jobs those born here are seldom willing to do.

Few Michigan immigrants are undocumented, aka "illegal." But that doesn't mean Trump's persecutions don't have an effect. Austin told me that after dozens of Chaldeans were rounded up and arrested in the Detroit suburbs last month, that "sent a chilling message to Michigan's legal immigrants, current and future: You are not welcome here."

Trump's anti-immigrant policies are, in fact, more damaging to Michigan than most places. What the Michigan Economic Center study recommends is that the politicians collaborate with business leaders to make this the most welcoming state in the nation.

Otherwise, we may get to see immigrants fleeing or shunning our state and what prosperity we have with them.

What about terrorism?

Those wanting to severely limit immigration, especially from the Middle East, often parrot fears about Islamic terrorism. This, to be sure, deserves consideration, but the government has been doing rigorous screening since 9/11, long before Trump arrived.

Except for that event, virtually all of those committing terrorist acts in this country have been Americans born here.

Some have been Muslim, or pretended to be, but the worst domestic terrorist attack by far, apart from 9/11, was the Oklahoma City bombing, carried off by those two good old Christian boys, Timothy McVeigh and the mauler from Michigan's thumb, Terry Nichols.

And whether Trump fears assassination isn't known, but he might be interested to know that most of our famous assassins or would-be assassins Lee Harvey Oswald, Arthur Bremer, Mark David Chapman, Sirhan Sirhan, John Hinckley were young, white, and mostly Christian men.

What about leaving the job-creating immigrants alone, and deporting all the native-born white male 20-somethings instead? Frankly, that might make more sense.

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Why immigrants are the best thing to happen to Michigan - Detroit Metro Times

O.J. is free again.

As a society we seem to tolerate and even encourage bad behavior. Our major institutions, such as public schools and government, do not do a very effective job of using rewards to incentivize good behavior and punishments to dis-incentivize bad behavior.

We can debate the relative merits of using rewards and punishments as tools to influence conduct, whether in parenting, the justice system, or other areas of human endeavor. Rewards today are handed out indiscriminately, while punishments tend to be scarce.

To the extent that carrots and sticks are employed as behavior modification techniques, the former are much more in vogue than the latter, as positive reinforcement is viewed as far superior to negative sanctions. From Dr. Spock disciples to character education gurus to penologists, experts on human behavior seem punishment-averse.

The no-spanking philosophy of child-rearing has morphed into a no-consequences culture generally. There is the self-esteem driven trophy syndrome in school and little league sports that rewards the slightest accomplishment. The reluctance to penalize poor performance extends now to college, where the customer is always right, everyone is a critical thinker and coddling paradigms combine to produce ever-increasing grade inflation.

The ultimate example of our punishment-averse mindset is the growing deincarceration call to release inmates from prisons on the twin assumption that sentences are too harsh and jails only produce more hardened criminals. The once ballyhooed broken windows theory of policing, which prescribed zero tolerance for accepting even the most minor infractions, has gone out the window, a victim of the post-Ferguson demonization of law enforcement. Where once we tried to internalize the norm that it is wrong to jump subway turnstiles, the new norm is it is wrong to lock up folks who steal and reveal 750,000 classified, highly sensitive national security documents.

Is it possible we are devaluing punishment as a way to help shape behavior that benefits both the individual and society? We constantly hear about research claiming punishment does not work. Yet, speaking for myself, when I was driving on Highway 40 recently and saw a sign warning Hit A Worker Pay $10,000 Fine and Lose License, it got me to slow down. I doubt I was the only motorist so impacted.

It got me to thinking, why dont we put up signs on the roadway warning Get your high school diploma, then get a job, then get married, and only then have kids, or else you have a high probability of ending up poor? Even more incentivizing, how about a sign that says Put marriage before the baby carriage, and you will have an 86 percent chance of having an income in the middle or top third of all incomes?

These data are based on numerous empirical studies done by both liberal and conservative research organizations, such as the Brookings Institution and the American Enterprise Institute, which conclude that, if one were to follow a relatively simple sequence of behaviors, poverty could be virtually eliminated. (See George Will, Listen Up, Millennials, Theres Sequence to Success, Washington Post, July 5.)

But instead of sending a message to young people that bad life choices have consequences, our leading institutions excuse such behavior as rooted in poverty and addressable through massive welfare programs.

This is not rocket science. It is common sense, backed by science. The same folks on the left who criticize Donald Trump as (being morally flawed and anti-scientific) are in no position to throw stones themselves. They have contributed to the collapse of the norms Will and others celebrate, as liberal media such as The New York Times are at best nonjudgmental about marriage and having kids out of wedlock and at worst question and thus undermine the institution of matrimony and family values. And they ignore the substantial science behind the sequencing hypothesis.

We have no problem growing the nanny state when it comes to education campaigns and laws relating to climate change, seat belt safety, labeling of cigarette packages, anti-bullying, multicultural competency, and other such issues. Is it too politically incorrect to hammer away, also, at the themes suggested above, at a time when the Pew Research Center reports the share of Americans who are married is at its lowest point since at least 1920 and the out-of-wedlock birthrate is roughly 50 percent?

The larger matter here is that social justice and compassion, which are wonderful aspects of Judaism, must be joined with some sense of personal responsibility, which has been lost along the way. Granted, some people have more choices than others. Nonetheless, we all have choices.

A good place to start is in the schools. There is a big movement in schools today to teach the whole child, that is, to cater to not just the academic but also social-emotional needs of students. Grit is the latest educationist buzzword, referring to developing ones capacity for self-control, delayed gratification, persistence, and resilience. However, it is not clear how such qualities can be cultivated in a no-consequences environment.

Many schools no longer allow students to get a failing grade, which means students rarely have to test their coping mechanisms. As a result, on those occasions when they are faced with adversity, they get stressed easily and can experience serious mental health problems, a growing reality widely reported by school counselors at every level.

Of course, poverty, mental illness, crime, and other problems are complicated and defy simple solutions. One modest proposal is that, from the cradle to the grave, we give a little more love to the first half of the tough-love equation. Each of us and the society as a whole will be the better for it.

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Time to punish bad behavior - St. Louis Jewish Light

Best of the Web Columnist James Taranto on new evidence that Donald Trump benefited from his plain talk and rejection of politically correct rhetoric. Photo: AP

Older man reprimands young man. Photo from Thinkstock

ATTENTION, Gen Y: Baby Boomers have had it with your political correctness.

New Australian research suggests over 50s are fed up with being told what they can and cant say, and believe young people are the worst offenders.

The survey of 1000 Australians over 50 saw nine in 10 agree political correctness is ruining society, and thought younger generations were too worried about offending people.

According to the CoreData research commissioned by Australian Seniors Insurance Agency, 86 per cent of seniors believed having to be politically correct all the time was ruining society, and 86.6 per cent said it was inauthentic.

Bathurst teacher Vicki Evans is not afraid to admit she loathes political correctness.

The 55-year-old says shes constantly being told off by her three children, all in their 20s, for opinions they say she shouldnt be allowed to express.

Vicki Evans, 55, is done with political correctness. Picture: Vicki Evans/SuppliedSource:Supplied

The number of times I saw something and my kids say oh Mum, you cant say that, she says.

They say you cant make assumptions about things, but I think you can make observations.

You cant say anything thats offensive and that could be deemed to label anyone. You have to be always aware of perceptions, apparently.

Ms Evans says that her childrens sensitivities are clearly not a product of her parenting, but blames universities and television for encouraging political correctness.

I do get really cross with the whole idea that children arent allowed to talk about anything religious in relation to Christmas or Easter because it might offend someone, she said. I think if we cant discuss any of these things we run the risk of losing our cultural identity.

Seniors were asked, how much do you agree with the following statements about political correctness? Picture: CoreData Social Etiquette and Pet Peeves Survey (June 2017)Source:Supplied

The data also indicated that Aussies grew less concerned about social norms and pleasing others as they grew older.

Almost a third (31 per cent) said they no longer cared about social norms or pleasing others.

Two in five (42.7 per cent) admitted to having shared politically incorrect jokes, and a quarter (24.3 per cent) said they used humour even it they knew it might make some people uncomfortable. One in five admitted they had used politically incorrect humour among inappropriate company.

Most respondents said they thought social etiquette had got worse in Australia. Picture: CoreData Social Etiquette and Pet Peeves Survey (June 2017)Source:Supplied

Australian Seniors Computer Club Association president Nan Bosler said seniors were resisting societal pressure to be politically correct.

Seniors are not letting this pressure deter them from staying true to themselves and their beliefs and they should be respected for that attitude, she said.

Australias older generation have been through a momentous amount of change and challenges, and this has made them a resilient bunch who value good humour and are not easily offended by lighthearted teasing.

Therefore, it is easy to understand why this generation can be frustrated with certain political correct filters that are assumed in modern-day living.

Political correctness was among the top answers to the question: What really bothers you the most these days that didn't seemed to bother you so much when you were younger? Picture: CoreData Social Etiquette and Pet Peeves Survey (June 2017)Source:Supplied

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Senior Australians say political correctness is ruining society - NEWS.com.au

Toronto Sun

The MMIW is stuck in a politically correct limbo Toronto Sun But since the commission was designed not to blame First Nations culture or indigenous men, it is stuck in a politically correct limbo. It is tasked with finding the truth, unless the truth it finds is politically incorrect, at which point the MMIW's ... and more »

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The MMIW is stuck in a politically correct limbo - Toronto Sun

Caption + Janet Winterhalder, left, and Zach Russell with COS Racing ride eastbound on Research Parkway Tuesday, November 1, 2016, in the buffered bike lane that has been in service since the end of September. Photo by Mark Reis, The Gazette

Last week Colorado Politics was the first to tell you about Sen. Ray Scott's talk on social media about taxing bicycles.

In an interview with us, the Republican pragmatist from Grand Junction said cyclists use the roads just like other forms of transportation, but unlike owners of those other forms of transportation, cyclists pay no taxes to help support the roads or services. Other vehicles, including motorcycles and ATVs, pay gas taxes and vehicle taxes and fees. As expected, the idea is getting pushback from cyclists.

A bike tax passed the Oregon legislature this year, but it was Democrats pushing it and Republicans opposing it.

Scott has a double purpose: to raise some much-needed money for transportation while exposing what he sees as a double-standard. And, thirdly, Scott loves to stir the pot of conversation and debate. He has a wicked sense of humor.

Can a bicycle outrun the tax man forever?

Here's what Scott said Monday night on Facebook:

"I'm a little shocked by the raw nerve I struck with my comments about leveling the playing field between cyclists, ATVs, snowmobiles and watercraft, when it comes to how we treat, and tax, these machines. But maybe I shouldn't be, given how defensive bicyclists get when anyone raises the apparently politically-incorrect question of whether they benefit from a double standard and ought to pay a fairer share of the cost for the roadways they use with increased frequency. My attempt to start a conversation has been met with hysteria by some and reasonable ideas by others, reflecting a diversity of opinions on the subject that didn't cut neatly along party or ideological lines.

"The Denver Post, for instance, voiced support for bike taxes, while the Grand Junction Sentinel, came out hard against any discussion of the topic. The need to take swipes at me was the only thing both papers apparently agreed on. I've heard from normally-tax-averse Republicans supporting some type of tax, fee or assessment on bicyclists, and from Democrats who show zero support, even though their peers in liberal-leaning Oregon already have embraced the idea.

"My tracking is showing a 50-50 split on both sides.

"The 2018 legislation is still many months away, giving me plenty of time to weigh the wide variety of responses I've received and consider next steps. But I'm more convinced than ever, based on the live wire nerve I inadvertently struck when I raised the issue, that this is a debate worth continuing in the down time between legislative sessions, so that any concrete proposals that result can be refined and improved before the General Assembly meets again.

"I sincerely appreciate the feedback and responses I've received, from all sides, and will be continuing to discuss the issue with colleagues and various stakeholder groups in the time between now and the next session. So keep those cards and letters, those tweets and emails and nasty-grams, coming, folks. This clearly is an issue the Coloradans feel passionately about, and something lawmakers might want to take up when we next meet."

Scott is planting seeds to yield food for thought, but he'll have a hard time on this one. Cyclists have good friends in the legislature, including passionate riders in both chambers. But he also will have a hard time nailing down all 18 members of the Republican caucus in the Senate. The GOP has only a one-seat majority, but then again Democrats do like a tax for bike lanes and the great outdoors, so don't count Scott out yet.

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Grand Junction's Scott continues to stir the pot on tax for bicycle road use - Colorado Springs Gazette