Herb--

"Political correctness" is a slippery term.  

For example, in some circles it is taken for granted that Unites States constitutionalism is directly predicated upon evangelical Christian values.  

In the early decades of the 20th century, professors in various Virginia colleges were fired for teaching that, contrary to the UDC and other Confederate heritage groups, slaves disliked being enslaved.

In some academic circles today, you will get shouted down if you suggest that Islam is not, by its intrinsic nature, hostile to "Western Values."  Question the idea of a fundamental "clash of civilizations" and you are (impolitely) ignored.

Political Correctness is a bad thing.  But you would be simply incorrect to think that it applies uniformly across all academic conversations.  Academics, just like everyone else, are prone to divide themselves along political lines.

There is as much "group think" and proclivity to knee jerk moral judgments among right wing academics as there is among left.  Its ugly whenever it happens.  But human nature being what it is, it is something in which persons from all political persuasions are quite capable of indulging.

All best,
Kevin

---- Original message ----
>Date: Mon, 29 Sep 2008 20:27:52 -0400
>From: Herbert Barger <[log in to unmask]>  
>Subject: Re: What is the current defination of "revisionist history"?  
>To: [log in to unmask]
>
>I don't believe it is such a hard task to identify that which attempts
>to revise history to one's own agenda and throw in political correctness
>for good measure and we have it pretty well "nailed down."  The term is
>quiet frequently used in identifying persons who traffic in this
>trade.........look around......see or read of any?  
>
>Herb
>
>I think that, save when used as a term of art in discourse between
>professional historiographers and historians, the term "revisionist" is
>pejorative.  That is to say, it is used to disparage the work of
>scholars with whom one happens to disagree.
>
>My comment here is quite subjective.  This is just an impression, and
>hence not a comment I wish to advance with any special claim to
>authority.
>
>All best,
>Kevin
>Kevin R. Hardwick, Ph.D.
>Department of History
>James Madison University
>
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Kevin R. Hardwick, Ph.D.
Department of History
James Madison University

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