Favourite Americanisms.

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Dubious
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Re: Favourite Americanisms.

Post by Dubious »

Dubious wrote:Today is not only a concern for the US. There's now a leveling-off in all nations.
Greta wrote:I agree, but the effect seems most pronounced in the US. The human story seems to be one of growing collective power and concomitant shrinking of individual capacities.
It surely seems that way! I ascribe it to one of forced conformity at the expense of individuality and the antipathy such expressions may create. One of its main and most dangerous catalysts is the coercive political correctness which now rules even within the most prestigious educational institutions...which ironically counters the very meaning of education.
Greta wrote:As activities become easier to do, our individual capacities shrink through disuse. We develop ever more specialised and expert exemplars in each field while we increasingly become like cells - incapable of surviving alone, outside of the "body" of humanity.
I tend to think of it as humanity slowly transforming, or more accurately eroding into a type of homuncular entity where the individual operates as little more than a walking function.
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Greta
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Re: Favourite Americanisms.

Post by Greta »

Dubious wrote:One of its main and most dangerous catalysts is the coercive political correctness ...
PC is the tip of the iceberg. The issue is much broader - conformity.

Conformity is necessary for us to live in safe and ordered societies. Still, the tradeoffs we individuals make to "the many" should be examined, not reflexive. Society encourages us to objectify ourselves rather than embrace our humanity, hence the major public recognition of our warriors and relative ignoring of our doctors, despite the fact that each can selflessly take great risks with their health and safety.
Dubious
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Re: Favourite Americanisms.

Post by Dubious »

Greta wrote:
Dubious wrote:One of its main and most dangerous catalysts is the coercive political correctness ...
PC is the tip of the iceberg. The issue is much broader - conformity.

Conformity is necessary for us to live in safe and ordered societies. Still, the tradeoffs we individuals make to "the many" should be examined, not reflexive. Society encourages us to objectify ourselves rather than embrace our humanity, hence the major public recognition of our warriors and relative ignoring of our doctors, despite the fact that each can selflessly take great risks with their health and safety.
That may all be true but for all practical purposes and for most of us the way we think and instructed to believe in the future begins with our first day in class. Succeeding years collapse the question format of education into virtually unquestionable PC or status quo edicts. This allows little or no debate on views which counter those which are mindlessly accepted. It’s not merely a matter of “society” at large doing its thing but on the educational infrastructure upon which society itself depends. Colleges and Universities are foundational in how we think, teach or react in mastering the future.
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Harbal
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Re: Favourite Americanisms.

Post by Harbal »

vegetariantaxidermy wrote:'I could care less'. Functionable. Loose instead of lose. Mischeeveeiss. 'Loan' used as a verb. 'Artic' instead of 'Arctic' ditto 'Antartica'. Irrrakk! Anyways.
Toward. So long as (as long as). 'Axe' instead of 'ask' (I axed my boyfriend first and then loaned his car). 'I'll run that by you and discernify if we are in the same ball park'. Translation: I'll explain it first then see if we agree. 'Nucular' instead of 'nuclear'. 'Where are you at?' Why the 'at'??? What's wrong with 'where are you?'
'Get off OF my property!' instead of 'Get off my property!' Hmm. If he had just said it correctly without the pointless 'of' he would have had time to duck inside before being shot. Headline: 'Man Killed By Bad Grammar'. 'I have just gotten a raise'. 'I have just got a rise'. 'Mam'. 'Have a nice day' (more useful as a sneaky insult by insolent shop assistants than anything else). 'Inappropriate' use of the word 'inappropriate'. Ditto 'issues'. 'Math' instead of 'MathS'.
etc.etc.etc.etc.etc.........What is wrong with those people???
I can't help admiring your enthusiasm, VT, but please leave something for others who may also like to contribute. :D
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vegetariantaxidermy
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Re: Favourite Americanisms.

Post by vegetariantaxidermy »

Harbal wrote:
vegetariantaxidermy wrote:'I could care less'. Functionable. Loose instead of lose. Mischeeveeiss. 'Loan' used as a verb. 'Artic' instead of 'Arctic' ditto 'Antartica'. Irrrakk! Anyways.
Toward. So long as (as long as). 'Axe' instead of 'ask' (I axed my boyfriend first and then loaned his car). 'I'll run that by you and discernify if we are in the same ball park'. Translation: I'll explain it first then see if we agree. 'Nucular' instead of 'nuclear'. 'Where are you at?' Why the 'at'??? What's wrong with 'where are you?'
'Get off OF my property!' instead of 'Get off my property!' Hmm. If he had just said it correctly without the pointless 'of' he would have had time to duck inside before being shot. Headline: 'Man Killed By Bad Grammar'. 'I have just gotten a raise'. 'I have just got a rise'. 'Mam'. 'Have a nice day' (more useful as a sneaky insult by insolent shop assistants than anything else). 'Inappropriate' use of the word 'inappropriate'. Ditto 'issues'. 'Math' instead of 'MathS'.
etc.etc.etc.etc.etc.........What is wrong with those people???
I can't help admiring your enthusiasm, VT, but please leave something for others who may also like to contribute. :D
I was holding back. I could go on for pages and pages. :) I forgot an important one. 'Ass'. They think it means derriere, rather than something you use your derriere to sit on the back of.
duszek
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Re: Favourite Americanisms.

Post by duszek »

Not sure if it´s only the Americans or if it´s also the British who drop the of in sentences like:

"He leans out of the window."
"He looks out of the window."

Does anyone miss the "of" apart of me ?

Rappers don´t pronounce the "ing" correctly but it is their provocative style, I suppose.

Everybody clings to some idiosyncracies, don´t we ?
Please point out to me if something in my style gets on your nerves.
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Harbal
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Re: Favourite Americanisms.

Post by Harbal »

duszek wrote:Not sure if it´s only the Americans or if it´s also the British who drop the of in sentences like:
Pointing out British misdemeanours are frowned upon in this thread, duszek.
Please point out to me if something in my style gets on your nerves.
Just confine your criticisms to the Americans and you'll be fine.
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Greta
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Re: Favourite Americanisms.

Post by Greta »

Dubious wrote:
Greta wrote:
Dubious wrote:One of its main and most dangerous catalysts is the coercive political correctness ...
PC is the tip of the iceberg. The issue is much broader - conformity.

Conformity is necessary for us to live in safe and ordered societies. Still, the tradeoffs we individuals make to "the many" should be examined, not reflexive. Society encourages us to objectify ourselves rather than embrace our humanity, hence the major public recognition of our warriors and relative ignoring of our doctors, despite the fact that each can selflessly take great risks with their health and safety.
That may all be true but for all practical purposes and for most of us the way we think and instructed to believe in the future begins with our first day in class. Succeeding years collapse the question format of education into virtually unquestionable PC or status quo edicts. This allows little or no debate on views which counter those which are mindlessly accepted. It’s not merely a matter of “society” at large doing its thing but on the educational infrastructure upon which society itself depends. Colleges and Universities are foundational in how we think, teach or react in mastering the future.
I don't think educational institutions have much influence at all. If they are supposed to be leftist, as is often claimed, why has politics continued to shift to the right over the past forty years? Conservative media is not only winning the culture wars, there is almost no competition any more. Mostly elections are fought between rival right wing parties with some far left and far right rag tags floating around the fringes.
Walker
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Re: Favourite Americanisms.

Post by Walker »

Of course, smug fatuousness can be just as irritating as garbled content.

Master Class Fatuous
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14kNtnJgXXM
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vegetariantaxidermy
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Re: Favourite Americanisms.

Post by vegetariantaxidermy »

Greta wrote:
Dubious wrote:
Greta wrote: PC is the tip of the iceberg. The issue is much broader - conformity.

Conformity is necessary for us to live in safe and ordered societies. Still, the tradeoffs we individuals make to "the many" should be examined, not reflexive. Society encourages us to objectify ourselves rather than embrace our humanity, hence the major public recognition of our warriors and relative ignoring of our doctors, despite the fact that each can selflessly take great risks with their health and safety.
That may all be true but for all practical purposes and for most of us the way we think and instructed to believe in the future begins with our first day in class. Succeeding years collapse the question format of education into virtually unquestionable PC or status quo edicts. This allows little or no debate on views which counter those which are mindlessly accepted. It’s not merely a matter of “society” at large doing its thing but on the educational infrastructure upon which society itself depends. Colleges and Universities are foundational in how we think, teach or react in mastering the future.
I don't think educational institutions have much influence at all. If they are supposed to be leftist, as is often claimed, why has politics continued to shift to the right over the past forty years? Conservative media is not only winning the culture wars, there is almost no competition any more. Mostly elections are fought between rival right wing parties with some far left and far right rag tags floating around the fringes.
It doesn't occur to you that it might be a result of the thought-policing and general nauseousness of the powerful PC movement? Actually PC is more like 'right' than 'left'.Unfortunately people have been brainwashed into believing that political correctness is 'the left' or worse, 'liberal', which has driven them towards 'neo-liberal/fascist type Govts. which love PC because PC is all about control and freedom-removal. And people wonder why I get so angry about stupid misleading labels? If people don't grow a brain soon we are going to end up with totalitarian Govts. and police states in the 'West'.
Dubious
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Re: Favourite Americanisms.

Post by Dubious »

Greta wrote:I don't think educational institutions have much influence at all.
Not anymore they don't and that's the problem as mentioned! They've long given up their mandate for inquiry and honest debate...which is one reason why Conservative media is not only winning the culture wars, there is almost no competition any more.

Most people have great difficulty thinking outside the box and prefer to live comfortably within it where labels abound as if trying to strait-jacket their thoughts within those frames of reference. All these labels tell you is that you already subscribed yourself to a set of ideas and made yourself immune to anything else. Left, Right, Conservative, Liberal, etc., amount to nothing more than labels for secular religions with nearly the same emphasis of revealing truth as the biblical kind and being considered a heretic if you question it.

Educational institutions are now meant to create walking functions subscribing to this or that complex of ideas denoted under a single heading...not thinking people who have the means to juggle these silly labels or dispense with them altogether in the name of reason and inquiry.
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Greta
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Re: Favourite Americanisms.

Post by Greta »

vegetariantaxidermy wrote:
Greta wrote:
Dubious wrote:
That may all be true but for all practical purposes and for most of us the way we think and instructed to believe in the future begins with our first day in class. Succeeding years collapse the question format of education into virtually unquestionable PC or status quo edicts. This allows little or no debate on views which counter those which are mindlessly accepted. It’s not merely a matter of “society” at large doing its thing but on the educational infrastructure upon which society itself depends. Colleges and Universities are foundational in how we think, teach or react in mastering the future.
I don't think educational institutions have much influence at all. If they are supposed to be leftist, as is often claimed, why has politics continued to shift to the right over the past forty years? Conservative media is not only winning the culture wars, there is almost no competition any more. Mostly elections are fought between rival right wing parties with some far left and far right rag tags floating around the fringes.
It doesn't occur to you that it might be a result of the thought-policing and general nauseousness of the powerful PC movement? Actually PC is more like 'right' than 'left'.Unfortunately people have been brainwashed into believing that political correctness is 'the left' or worse, 'liberal', which has driven them towards 'neo-liberal/fascist type Govts. which love PC because PC is all about control and freedom-removal. And people wonder why I get so angry about stupid misleading labels? If people don't grow a brain soon we are going to end up with totalitarian Govts. and police states in the 'West'.
I think you might need a new term because "PC" is never, ever applied to the right, even though they are the main perps, as you noted. And yes, this is all about power and control - 100%.

It's impossible to have a sensible public dialogue on any contentious topic in today's overheated political climate. It's no longer possible to get people to "listen to reason" or give a damn about hard evidence, if that was ever possible. It's as though the entire public conversation is taking place in a society-sized courtroom, with each side playing the role of a manipulative lawyers whose goal is to win, not to uncover the truth.
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vegetariantaxidermy
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Re: Favourite Americanisms.

Post by vegetariantaxidermy »

Greta wrote:
vegetariantaxidermy wrote:
Greta wrote: I don't think educational institutions have much influence at all. If they are supposed to be leftist, as is often claimed, why has politics continued to shift to the right over the past forty years? Conservative media is not only winning the culture wars, there is almost no competition any more. Mostly elections are fought between rival right wing parties with some far left and far right rag tags floating around the fringes.
It doesn't occur to you that it might be a result of the thought-policing and general nauseousness of the powerful PC movement? Actually PC is more like 'right' than 'left'.Unfortunately people have been brainwashed into believing that political correctness is 'the left' or worse, 'liberal', which has driven them towards 'neo-liberal/fascist type Govts. which love PC because PC is all about control and freedom-removal. And people wonder why I get so angry about stupid misleading labels? If people don't grow a brain soon we are going to end up with totalitarian Govts. and police states in the 'West'.
I think you might need a new term because "PC" is never, ever applied to the right, even though they are the main perps, as you noted. And yes, this is all about power and control - 100%.

It's impossible to have a sensible public dialogue on any contentious topic in today's overheated political climate. It's no longer possible to get people to "listen to reason" or give a damn about hard evidence, if that was ever possible. It's as though the entire public conversation is taking place in a society-sized courtroom, with each side playing the role of a manipulative lawyers whose goal is to win, not to uncover the truth.
I know it's always applied to the 'left', which is exactly the problem. It's actually neither 'right' not 'left'. It has aspects of both, but it still hates the truth just like every other self-serving agenda-driven twit. It's not me that needs a new term.
Last edited by vegetariantaxidermy on Wed Apr 26, 2017 6:46 am, edited 1 time in total.
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vegetariantaxidermy
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Re: Favourite Americanisms.

Post by vegetariantaxidermy »

Dubious wrote:
Greta wrote:I don't think educational institutions have much influence at all.
Not anymore they don't and that's the problem as mentioned! They've long given up their mandate for inquiry and honest debate...which is one reason why Conservative media is not only winning the culture wars, there is almost no competition any more.

Most people have great difficulty thinking outside the box and prefer to live comfortably within it where labels abound as if trying to strait-jacket their thoughts within those frames of reference. All these labels tell you is that you already subscribed yourself to a set of ideas and made yourself immune to anything else. Left, Right, Conservative, Liberal, etc., amount to nothing more than labels for secular religions with nearly the same emphasis of revealing truth as the biblical kind and being considered a heretic if you question it.

Educational institutions are now meant to create walking functions subscribing to this or that complex of ideas denoted under a single heading...not thinking people who have the means to juggle these silly labels or dispense with them altogether in the name of reason and inquiry.
I don't believe it. Someone who actually gets it.
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Greta
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Re: Favourite Americanisms.

Post by Greta »

vegetariantaxidermy wrote:
Greta wrote:I think you might need a new term because "PC" is never, ever applied to the right, even though they are the main perps, as you noted. And yes, this is all about power and control - 100%.

It's impossible to have a sensible public dialogue on any contentious topic in today's overheated political climate. It's no longer possible to get people to "listen to reason" or give a damn about hard evidence, if that was ever possible. It's as though the entire public conversation is taking place in a society-sized courtroom, with each side playing the role of a manipulative lawyers whose goal is to win, not to uncover the truth.
I know it's always applied to the 'right', which is exactly the problem. It's actually neither 'right' not 'left'. It has aspects of both, but it still hates the truth just like every other self-serving agenda-driven twit. It's not me that needs a new term.
I was pointing out the inherent double standards in the way the term "political correctness" is applied, but never mind.

Whatever, unlike most here, I don't think that everything is awful and that the Earth is doomed due to the misbehaviour of an aberrant species. I think everything is probably ticking along just fine with the Earth, and that most of us will be superseded as were the dinosaurs.

The Earth does that occasionally. A threshold is reached, everything breaks down, and then there are new emergences, albeit with modern DNA (and ever more interesting historical excavations). Sometimes extinctions are triggered by space, sometimes by geology, sometimes by biology, or some combination.

I once thought a major extinction event would be preventable but population and conflicts of interest ensure that it will be utter carnage. I can imagine tribes emerging from the ruins and rubble, looking up wistfully at untouchable ivory towers in the robot-protected compounds that house and protect the privileged, and then they'll fight and kill each other about who's sleeping with whom :?
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