and we're "forwards?"

From a <a
href="http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=oddlyEnoughNew
s&storyid=2006-10-18T022106Z_01_L16264327_RTRUKOC_0_US-INDIA-PINK.xml&sr
c=rss">Reuters Article</a> I saw this morning about painting an entire
town pink to improve its image.

<i>The ancient town of Aurangabad in Bihar -- one of India's most
<b>backward</b> and poorest states -- is a hotbed of crime ranging from
killing, extortion, kidnapping and inter-caste wars.</i>

WTF? Aren't we past the point as a intelligent and culturally
knowledgeable society that the term "backward" shouldn't be used to
describe anyone? God, it sounds like some redneck describing those
"A-rabs" or calling some group "savages"... and this is on an
international news feed.
F that.
I am all for the end of political correctness (ask my Asian friends) but
this is just fed up. I'm going to go back to being angry with my job
now.