The art of the double standard

Whatever your feeling are regarding religion, this is a chilling story : San Diego county is threatening to fine a local pastor for holding Bible studies in his house (~15 people) unless he gets a "major use permit" ... which would cost tens of thousands of dollars :

http://www.10news.com/news/19562217/detail.html

Religion is often one of the main targets of the new political correctness, since religious beliefs often (rightly or wrongly) conflict with the PC ideology. But this post is not about freedom of religion.

It's about the most serious threat to free speech in this nation : the double standard

If this meeting had been a Torah study, a Quran recitation, or even a Wiccan gathering, San Diego county would have never dared to take this kind of draconian action. But since the people involved are Christians (the majority religion in the US, at least for the time being), they can safely threaten them without being themselves attacked by the Thoughtpolice.

If this meeting violates some ordinance in San Diego, then shut it down - this could always be appealed in court, at the ballot box, etc. But enforce the law evenly.

This double standard is the main tool of the Thoughtpolice : use ordinances, including so-called "hate crime" laws to silence those who do not follow the politically correct doctrine.

If a minority (racial, religious, sexual, or otherwise) group was harassed in this way, it would be national news, protesters would march, etc. But when it's the majority, mainstream group, the silence is deafening.

If it offends one person, remove it

An important part of the new political correctness is lowering the standards for what is considered offensive. The former "community" standard no longer applies : it now appears that what is offensive to one person is, by definition, offensive and must be removed, even if that something is the American flag in a hospital on Memorial day :

http://cbs11tv.com/local/patriotism.at.office.2.1020415.html

Fortunately this story has a happy ending : after numerous protests, the hosiptal relented and allowed the flag to be hung again.

Notice the hospital's reaction. It didn't tell the person making the complaint that the flag was okay - it immediately took her side and had the flag removed. "Offensive until proven otherwise" is one step away from censorship.

Welcome to Ghost of Winston

Like almost every other American my age, I was "forced" to read George Orwell's 1984 (and Animal Farm) in high school. Back then (the 1980s), both students and teacher used Orwell to point out the dangers of totalitarian govenments, i.e. the Soviet Union and the East Block -- i.e. this is why we must defeat communism.

But the danger wasn't Soviet communism : that collapsed on its own. The danger was right here at home. Joseph Stalin wasn't Big Brother - Big Brother is the mindless political correctness that is rapidly turning a once great nation into one in which free speech is dying and being replaced by a hypersensitity that stifles real discussion about the issues that affect us all.

The new guiding principle in America : Intolerance in the name of tolerance.

This blog is meant to show the new America and the agenda being pushed by the media and academia in order "re-educate" (as the communists called it) Americans into following their politically-correct world view ... a world view that, if allowed to spread, will destroy what is left of the greatest nation on earth.

Orwell was right : we're just 25 years behind schedule.