Why would I want to argue for political correctness if I am not a progressive? Politically, I am mostly Quaker
Well, let's rehash what you said you are and believe in...
You said:
"I am an old liberal, not a progressive. I believe in unions, government programs for the poor and disabled, and continuing to even the playing field for minority groups. I believe diversity and education should be our focus - I admire the education system and commitment to teachers and students found in Finland. And, frankly I like bureaucracy - I’d much rather see government officials wrangle and argue over nothing than get a hold of actual power! It’s funny, because people like to say that liberals want ‘big government’, I want politicians to feel important managing the petty, nuances of obscure and irrelevant crap, not actually having the power to pillage our environment and bullying the world. God forbid business taking over and exploiting everything and everyone for profit."
Unions - sadly, they are sometimes necessary, but not always. And it's easy for them to go into corruption, and union members often have no say with their dues being donated to the Democratic party. Not all union members are Democrats, so there is obvious bias with a lot of the unions in the U.S. today.
Government programs - there should be these, but for the needy and those who cannot do for themselves, not people who can do for themselves but won't.
Evening the playing field for minorities - this is a definite political correctness issue pushed by 'progressives'. It is in essence the idea of Socialism. Getting ahead by government subsidies is bias against the honest worker. And it is the principle of the redistribution of wealth, a Communist goal. America is the land of opportunity, for those who get off their bum and work hard and be creative.
Diversity - another political correctness issue pushed by 'progressives'. Genetic socialists love the idea of confusing one's gender, and this idea was another one the 1958 Communist goals for the takeover of the Christian west (see the 1958 book,
The Naked Communist by ex-FBI agent Cleon Skousen). Diversity gender training should not be an education subject in the public schools. It is a violation of the rights of children and of their parents as to what a child is taught. Some diversity ideas are against the religious beliefs of a lot of people, and 'progressives' (Communists) don't care whether they violate that or not. The Communist Manifesto includes the idea that parents don't have the right to limit their children's education.
Liking bureaucracy - another goal of World Socialism, i.e., Communism. Under Communism, the State has complete control over the rights of the people. The 'bureaucracy' of the State determines the person's rights under Communist-Socialism. This means no inalienable God-given rights exist under such a system. The U.S. Constitution is totally opposite. It only gives the Federal bureaucracy certain rights, and all other rights default to the people. This language in the Constitution is explicit. This is why progressives who are so brainwashed into their Socialist-Communist doctrines try to push their goals in American society only to have them thrown out in the U.S. courts that follow the U.S. Constitution. This is why Communists so hate the U.S. Constitution and push propaganda against it, like it's outdated and needs to be changed, etc.
Business exploiting - Liberal Leftists are often ignorant of the Leftist systems they promote, as Communist Party system are the 'big business' replacements in Communist countries. They own and control everything through their Party system; like grandma's night gown, their system covers everything, even what one is allowed to think and speak.
Your beliefs you mentioned show you'd make a good Communist. I don't think you really are; I think you're just ignorant of those ideas you support.