There's an argument that “political correctness” is just a bogeyman term invented to lash out against polite society without seeming crude or uncivil. That what we call “political correctness” is actually politeness, and we just don’t wanna be polite! But this is just plain wrong. There’s a difference between being PC and being polite, and I can prove it!
Political correctness seems to invite trolling. At the same time, it's pretty obvious that the more pleasant conversation is, the more we're likely to converse constructively. But where do we draw the line between plain good manners and political correctness?
In the 1980s, Sting sung the lyrics: “I hope the Russians love their children too!”, while in Russia, popular group Lube lovingly joked: “Don’t be silly, America, we are all the same!” And yes, for a few years we lived learning our similarities. But why was this Russian-American romance so short lived? Why did we turn to hate again?
Geopolitics and financial issues aside, it is worth to ask a question: Are Russians and Americans culturally complimentary or do our cultural differences get in the way of our ability to understand each other?
What the hooligans last Thursday at my lecture in Colorado were objecting to was a very different kind of invasion—a peaceful, voluntary offering of ideas they were unaware of, didn’t want to hear, and thought it was their right to prevent others from hearing. Their intent was to intimidate, to harass, to silence, to dominate. This is not conduct that a citadel of education should tolerate for an instant.
The difference in Brazil is that the leaders of this movement refused to believe that the idea that made life beautiful all over the world – the idea of human liberty – would be permanently marginalized. They had faith that it could be a mainstream driver of events. They have worked to make it happen. And, sure enough, they are now watching history conform to the dream.
They say all is fair in love and war, but Russia and the US not at war. Diplomacy on the other hand, even in tense times is about respect, protocol and dignity. It seems that NBC’s Foreign Affairs Correspondent Andrew Mitchell didn’t get the memo.
During the morning briefing with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Mitchell shouted out a question as Lavrov was about to make his opening remarks.
Lavrov, the indelible picture of good humoured dignity did not take it well. He said to Mitchell,
