political correctness gone mad

[ChaosWulf]

Ya know?

[Ab]

What do you do when the right-wing conservatives sound sensible, and the leftie progressives sound insane?

https://twitter.com/MattWalshBlog/st...47722111516672

[Lightspeed]

Stop listening to people looking to catch your attention with the most extreme and absurd versions of whatever?

It's gratifying tho, right?

[Ab]

I’m going to subscribe to the Daily Wire and it’s your fault, you made me do it!

[Ab]

Paedophile Peter Selby was found with 125,000 child abuse images. Of the images, over 2,400 were classified as Category A, the most serious type of child sexual abuse media. Images and video in this category can depict penetrative sexual activity, and/or sexual sadism. However, a judge has decided that Selby will not go to jail, offering a suspended sentence, because "the impact of custody would be significant for you [because you now 'identify' as a woman]"

https://www.shieldsgazette.com/news/...images-3717922

Such inclusiveness

[Ab]

UK health authorities have been forced to apologise for suggesting “eunuch” should be recognised as a “gender identity” and that men seeking castration should be helped to receive it.

https://www.lbc.co.uk/news/nhs-apolo...nder-identity/

[fixed_truth]

World swimming adopts new policy for transgender athletes

World swimming’s governing body has adopted new rules for transgender athletes, only permitting swimmers who transitioned before age 12 to compete in women’s events.

The 24-page policy also includes proposals for a new “open competition” category. FINA said it was setting up a “a new working group that will spend the next six months looking at the most effective ways to set up this new category.”

[ChaosWulf]

About.
Fucking.
Time.

[Savage]

Originally Posted by fixed_truth

World swimming adopts new policy for transgender athletes

For once, common sense prevails (although not sure of the idea of under-12 year olds making a decision to transition). Will be interesting to see how long it takes for this to flow over into other sports.

[Ab]

Originally Posted by Savage

For once, common sense prevails (although not sure of the idea of under-12 year olds making a decision to transition).

I too am concerned about this. Under-12-year-olds don't have the capacity to consent to irreversible medical procedures that get Mummy (they/them) and Daddy (zer/ze) klout on Twitter.

Like I think I said above, I'm sure we'll look back on this period the way we look back on the Satanic Panic of the eighties, or the Communist Scare of the fifties. We'll think about the kids that are currently getting mutilated and sterilised the way we think about Peter Ellis. How the fuck did we think that was real. How the fuck did we allow that to happen to that person. All any parent can do is try and keep sane and keep his or her kids away from the contagion.

Anyway. Is the swimming policy the first domino? International Rugby League has just announced that only females are eligible to compete in the upcoming women's RL test matches and World Cup:

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/rug...21-p5avar.html

(I wish the media would stop saying things like "transgender athletes banned from competing". Nobody has been banned from competition.)

[Lightspeed]

I guess it's effectively a blanket ban on trans participants in gendered events? If you didn't transition before you were 12, you can't compete. And it's expected children under 12 shouldn't be transitioning.

[Ab]

From my (superficial) reading of the swimming policy, it's not that transgender athletes are excluded from gendered events; there is nothing preventing a transgender female who identifies as man from entering a men's event, but only females, or males who show no evidence of possessing the physical advantages conferred by male puberty, can enter the women's events.

Update: ignore the above, I was jumping the gun. What the swimming federation did was propose the creation of an Open category alongside Men and Women. Which of course will be dominated by males.

[Ab]

And then there's soccer.

[Ab]

Claim: “only people who are biological women can give birth”

Very Online NZ Labour MP Sarah Halley: “As a former midwife and midwifery lecturer I have the expertise necessary to confidently say that you are wholly incorrect.”

https://twitter.com/sarah4ilam/statu...34319001047040

[Ab]

Public schools in Texas would describe slavery to second graders as "involuntary relocation" under new social studies standards proposed to the state's education board.

The board is considering curriculum changes one year after Texas passed a law to eliminate topics from schools that make students "feel discomfort".

https://www.newsweek.com/texas-propo...witter-1720859

[fixed_truth]

I see Jordan Peterson has finally become a fully fledged religious conservative nutter

https://www.forbes.com/sites/andymee...new-dailywire/

[Caesar]

Originally Posted by fixed_truth

I see Jordan Peterson has finally become a fully fledged religious conservative nutter

https://www.forbes.com/sites/andymee...new-dailywire/

And Jordan has now got himself banned on Twitter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYfKWQqvFac

[Ab]

Those whom the gods wish to destroy, they first give large social media followings

[Ab]

Police investigating JK Rowling death threat after trans activist urges Twitter users to send bomb

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...send-bomb.html

Totally not a cult

[Nothing]

The complete lack of political correctness is getting scary in America. Like, who cares about women's rights, and you'd better watch out if you're gay or not white.

The really worrying thing, is that some parts of our society here in NZ might well be taking a similar turn.

[Ab]

I think they’re the same problem. You can’t defend the rights of women if “women” is a class with no definition. You can’t argue that the abortion ruling is bad for women if your political correctness makes you say “birthing people” instead.

[Lightspeed]

The problem being stark inequality that's getting worse, those exploiting the consequences and those desperately trying to avoid them.

[Nothing]

Originally Posted by Ab

I think they’re the same problem. You can’t defend the rights of women if “women” is a class with no definition. You can’t argue that the abortion ruling is bad for women if your political correctness makes you say “birthing people” instead.

The fact that nuance and complexity exist doesn't imply that there are no definitions. If someone with tetrachromatic vision tells me that something I'm seeing isn't just green, I don't argue with them about it, and the fact that I don't see what they're seeing doesn't automatically lead me to the conclusion that what they're seeing isn't real, or that it defies definition.

But for the sake of argument, even if it did defy definition, shouldn't the place where the conversation starts be with the assumption that as a human being they deserve to be resepected by default, unless there is some specific individual reason for that respect to be rescinded? Surely we don't start with the assumption that the rights of large groups of human beings can just be ignored?!?

[Ab]

Originally Posted by Nothing

as a human being they deserve to be resepected

Women?

[Nothing]

Originally Posted by Ab

Women?

If you want, but I intended it to be a question broadly applicable to any/all people who might belong to what you described as a "class with no definition".

Whatever other categories they may or may not fall into, they're certainly in the category 'human'.

[Ab]

Not all of the humans in the USA just lost the security of knowing they could receive medical treatment related to the termination of pregnancy. Just the women.

[fixed_truth]

Just the females.

Not all women are female, and some men are females. Remember, sex is distinct from gender.

[Ab]

And while you and I and the other members of the Peoples Front of Judaea are debating what the word woman actually means and pondering if there are males who are women and nodding while Stan announces he’s now Loretta, conservatives in the USA who are in perfect agreement about what a woman is are legislating away their legal protections. The conservatives are winning because the progressives have themselves become religious nuts.

[fixed_truth]

Sounds like you're saying that people shouldn't advocate for LGQBT rights or should do so quietly in the corner?

The group responsible for restricting reproductive rights are the one's restricting reproductive rights.

[Lightspeed]

Originally Posted by Ab

The conservatives are winning because the progressives have themselves become religious nuts.

US conservatives are winning because they're aligned with money and power. Oppression, the ability to exploit without consent is the only agenda that matters.

US liberals are losing because they're trying to play to play both sides, appealing to people's sense of freedom and justice, while also trying to keep a powerful elite in control.

But ultimately concentrated power is toxic, and that's what will win out in the end.

[Ab]

Originally Posted by Lightspeed

US conservatives are winning because they're aligned with money and power.

You think the leftie religious nuts don't have money and power? In the USA the lefties have the White House, the House of Reps, the Senate, the Universities, the tech companies, and the media. If that's not money and power I don't know what is.

This is a battle of ideas between the conservative religious nuts ("Jebus says no abortion!") on the right and the progressive religious nuts ("trans women are women!") on the left. The thing about the conservative mindset is that those dudes like winning and they will do what it takes to achieve it. The lefties are more focused on ideological purity and purging dissent on their own side. The nuts on the right are united and the nuts on the left are backstabbing each other.

[Lightspeed]

Originally Posted by Ab

This is a battle of ideas

That's the dog and pony show that keeps the poors scrapping each other. The real battle is for the ever decreasing share of the economic pie as more and more of it is captured by those with the very most.

It's just our typical delusion that these things are controlled from the top, rather than emerging from the bottom.

[Ab]

OK; bad choice of words. Battle for power as the music starts slowing down?

[Ab]

The NY Times, today:

The Far Right and Far Left Agree on One Thing: Women Don’t Count

[Lightspeed]

Hahaha, the dog and pony show, right on cue. The NYT definitely know what people are looking to buy.

You can see the pull towards two tribes so we can separate and duke it out, settling who the winner is that gets to enjoy the remaining spoils. Or just as likely, upending the status quo, starting a new scramble for wealth and power.

[StN]

Did you say "dog"?

Hairy McClary.

"There are times when lady dogs shouldn't be out galivanting around"

Too true Dame Dodd. Please don't get JK'd

[fixed_truth]

That NYT op-ed equating inclusive language to widespread legislative oppression is a reminder that many white, cis women would rather gatekeep and maintain privilege than work in solidarity with other groups.

https://twitter.com/KarenAttiah/stat...36485806723077

[Ab]

Originally Posted by Ab

lefties are more focused on ideological purity and purging dissent on their own side

Originally Posted by fixed_truth

https://twitter.com/KarenAttiah/stat...36485806723077

That NYT op-ed equating inclusive language to widespread legislative oppression is a reminder that many white, cis women would rather gatekeep and maintain privilege than work in solidarity with other groups.
...
We will need a politics of solidarity and community building to resist this, which is not something that white women have historically had to do.

thanks for proving my point Karen

[fixed_truth]

Again that's just fixing the game so that any advocating for transgender rights is unacceptable.

Even calling out nonsense that legislating abortion is akin to broadening the social category women.

[Ab]

acknowledging that the category exists would be a start