Political correctness runs rampant…writes Michael Kuttner

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An explanation of political correctness straight out of George Orwell’s novel 1984: “a method of controlling and dictating public speech and thought.”

Michael Kuttner

This very well sums up the situation we find ourselves in these days.

Faced with onslaughts by those dedicated to the destruction of democracy, freedom and human rights, the armies of politically correct politicians and media experts are working overtime to ensure that the blame for all this mayhem does not fall on those perpetrating these acts.

This past week has produced some classic examples.

Long expected and coming as no surprise to anyone aware of the hate being cultivated and boiling beneath the surface in the United Kingdom, the terror attack in London hit the headlines. Radicalisation of Moslem “born again” converts has long been recognised as a looming problem. Unfortunately it is a disease which cannot be easily discussed openly and honestly for fear of upsetting the politically correct legions of thought police. Mosques and schools which inculcate and brain wash young and old to follow the path of jihad and cleanse society of degenerate western ideas are allowed to flourish. When, as in this incident of terror, the brainwashed person actually acts according to the poisonous ideology he or she has learnt, we discover that in many cases they have been on some sort of watch list for some time. Lo and behold however more often than not they have dropped off the radar.

Why?

Either they have not yet carried out a terror attack or the PC policy has kicked in and it is deemed not “cricket” to be suspicious of someone with known radicalised connections but who has not yet carried out anything assumed to be against the law. When the inevitable happens all those tasked with keeping us safe, scratch their heads and issue lame excuses as to why they had not kept track of someone flagged as a potential terrorist.

In the latest outrage the first pronouncements from UK authorities blamed “international influences” for causing the perpetrator to ram his car into pedestrians and stab other innocent bystanders in front of the Houses of Parliament. Notice the complete absence of the other “i” word. Heaven forbid that Islamic terror should be mentioned. It was eventually articulated by the British PM but not before most of the media, the Mayor of London, religious leaders and every other PC infected spokesperson made strenuous efforts to avoid the obvious.

Another perfect example of how Orwellian thought police operate was provided by an online UK Jewish Chronicle report about a planned visit to Israel later in the year by the Archbishop of Canterbury and his wife. The present incumbent of this important post is a well known friend of Israel and the Jewish People and therefore his visit should be welcomed.

However this is where it gets murky.

The politically correct brigade at the British Foreign Office, not known for their benign attitude towards the Jewish State, has apparently struck once again. According to the news item published in the JC, the Archbishop of Canterbury has been advised by the Foreign Office that he and his delegation should not under any circumstances speak to Hamas leaders and Israeli settlers! Note the moral equivalence which equates terrorist planners and perpetrators with Jews who are living in their ancient homeland. One can hear the gasps of dismay emanating from the corridors of the Foreign Office at the prospect of the Archbishop actually talking to Jews living in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria or the Golan.

However, here comes the best example of British hypocrisy. Apparently one of the sites the Archbishop plans to visit is the Kotel (Western Wall). This is situated in “occupied” territory as defined by the UN (thanks to Murray McCully) and friends. I have yet to work out how it is apparently perfectly OK to visit this Jewish Holy place and yet it is forbidden to speak to any Jews who may reside in the Old City. This sickness of PC hypocrisy has been honed to a fine art by the British Foreign Office. It helps to explain why after 70 years there has still not been an official State visit by any member of the British Royal Family. Every time the subject comes up, officials scatter for cover and issue meaningless statements.

Coalition forces this week bombed Mosul and in the process killed a large number of civilians being used as human shields by ISIS. During the Gaza war Israel was pilloried and condemned for far lesser acts and the subject still keeps popping up every so often. The contrast in this latest event while startling is not unsurprising. We have become so used to double standards that when the deliberate use of hostages causes deaths by US/UK forces the world yawns.

Abbas, whose use by date expired over 10 years ago, keeps trotting around the world and inciting against Israel. He would not be doing this if the politicians he harangues had the intestinal fortitude to tell him to cease spouting lies and fables. Unfortunately the opposite happens and the likes of the EU & UN encourage his continual rewriting of Jewish history. The latest example was during his visit to Germany and other EU countries. This is what was reported:

He claimed that the Palestinians are the indigenous people of Israel and the descendants of the Canaanites.

Abbas was on a three-day trip to Germany to add diplomatic pressure on Israel. Addressing the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, he spoke about his alleged pursuit of peace.

Abbas also declared that “the nation of Palestine, throughout its long history, has been a beacon of generosity, and our people are an extension of the 3,500-year-old Canaanite civilization, with urban communities thousands of years old.”

Political correctness kicked in and nobody spoke up to denounce this latest piece of revisionist garbage.

The examples of double speak are endless. So long as it is tolerated and indeed encouraged we will suffer its consequences.

Melanie Phillips in her usual inimitable style sums up the situation best:

“One of the most sinister aspects of political correctness is the way in which its edicts purport to be in the interests of minority groups.

This is despite the fact that, very often, they are not promulgated at the behest of minorities at all, but by members of the majority who want to destroy their own culture and who use minorities to camouflage their true intentions”.

Michael Kuttner is a Jewish New Zealander who for many years was actively involved with various communal organisations connected to Judaism and Israel. He now lives in Israel and is J-Wire’s correspondent in the region.