Peter,

"political correctness" is an odd-ball thing with no real rules and which is also often very convenient to practise. Even one who might abhor political correctness might find himself using it, so useful is the tool!

When someone isn't "politically correct" in a statement made the listener who might take issue with what is said does not state that the sayer was politically incorrect in the statement made, but rather has much more powerful insults like "racist" at their immediate disposal.

Political correctness also operates in an unusual manner. Typically, someone publicizes that they take exception to a statement made by another person and brand the person who made the statement as "racist". Then they sit back and watch, to see if other register similar feelings or if the opinion just fizzles out. We never really hear about those instances where it just fizzled out, but one that "catches" really mushrooms very quickly. Very often, too, it is the same people who catch/spread it, making them unofficial "police" of political correctness.

Several years ago we had an example of how political correctness can put people in a bit of a bind.
When cochlear implants were invented 1 spokesman for an organization for the deaf took exception to the installation of such devices in children, claiming that it not only removed the child's "choice" but that it would lead to the end of the "deaf culture" and so was the equivalent of a holocaust on the deaf. Unbelievably, the mushroom actually started to blossom and movements to ban the devices in children started up. Then people finally saw the stupidity of the argument and we never heard anything more about them.

Sadly, political correctness has been widely adopted. So we have a situation where anyone can brand someone a "racist" and people are more apt to blindly accept the assessment rather than make their minds up for themselves. As bad, there is no penalty for such branding, even if untrue.

cheers