COSTA RICA BLOG – I grew-up in Canada in the 1950’s and 60’s, when life was simple and the terms “political correctness” and “affirmative action” were yet to be invented. People spoke the truth about things and the “best” candidate was hired for the position applied for based on the ability to perform, without reference to arbitrary quota, or percentage requirements of hiring candidates from some minority, or disadvantaged group in society.
Sure, various social norms applied in those days, which seemed to have the desired effect of bringing truth and fairness to any given circumstance without unduly “ruffling the feathers” of society. These social norms fell far short of the imposition of those notions which came to be known as “political correctness” and “affirmative action”.
The notion of “affirmative action” seems to have run its course. I believe that it eventually became obvious to those who had influence over such programs, that if you were constantly hiring people who marginally met the requirements for a particular position in order to meet some arbitrary hiring number for a disadvantaged segment of society, rather than the best candidate available based on the ability to perform the tasks at hand, there would be a downward spiral in the quality of society over time. I believe that this downward spiral did start in the 1970’s, 80’s, and 90’s, when such programs were at their height.
There was a recent case out of Texas, heard by the U.S. Supreme Court, where a university student with an outstanding academic record was denied access to a particular university program by the University, based on an affirmative action program reserving a percentage of space to students from a minority group. The student who brought the challenge won the case, which I believe will set the tone for the future of such programs in the coming years.
However, the notion of “political correctness” trumping the truth seems to be alive and well. It would appear that only the likes of Bill Maher and Stephen Colbert, couching the truth in the form of comedy, are able to get the true state of affairs conveyed, without the onslaught of some spokesperson for a minority lobby group raising such a statement to the level of a National fiasco. One such example of such a fiasco arising was the report of Prince Charles chatting with a Jewish lady in Nova Scotia, Canada on a recent trip, en-likening what Putin is currently doing in the Ukraine to the annexation of territory in Europe by Hitler, just prior to the commencement of the Second World War.
I believe that Charles spoke the truth, as similarities can certainly be drawn in that regard. However, the statement was deemed by some political-types to have been “politically incorrect” and Charles was subjected to the wrath of some “politically correct” loving media-types and, of course, the Russians jumping aboard, with the characteristically associated social and media “hand-slapping” for such matters.
The political correctness acceptance pendulum has swung too far and must be returned to a more neutral position where speaking the truth may be recognized and prevail again.
Rick,
While I’m about your age and experience, I think you are being naive about the 50s and 60s. While they weren’t couched in phrases like “political correctness” and “affirmative action”, the same kind of schanigans were going on, under different names. For instance, how about “labor fairness”?
While undoubtably necessary to correct labor ills in years past, by the 50s and 60s, the phrase was used NOT to insure fairness, but to give unions a sranglehold on the economy. Democrat politicans catered to the labor vote, who inturn passed the massively generous health and pension plans, particularly in the public employee sector, that are stifling our economy now and will be paid for by our children.
Naw, there’s always lots of blame to go around!
Ray Caruthers