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Sunday, Nov 8, 2009
Thanks, Salon, for running this story to highlight both DeLappe's work, and that of the US Army. Much more attention should be paid to both of these, as Rebecca Claren's article doesn't state the obvious metaphor: To Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfeld, the Iraq war IS a virtual war. They never considered the human or financial cost of the endeavor before they started it; it's not their children dying over there; and they care about as much for our soldiers as we do for computer-generated images wiped out in a computer crash. They don't listen to the experienced generals who advise them well; they don't strategically plan for anything but elections & Halliburton & friends' profits; they don't provide the resources (body armor, vehicle armor, sufficient troops) to support those who give their lives for this nation.
I respectfully disagree with Professor Nagler, who says protest art is ineffective. Protest art is how artists contribute. I believe we would be more effective at changing policy by talking daily with people who disagree with us, rather than get ourselves tossed into jail where we are too easy to shut up. In Bush's world, thinking and informing oneself is in itself civil disobedience.
Now that more US soldiers have died in Iraq & Afghanistan than civilians were killed on September 11, 2001, it's time for US citizens to start demanding accountability for the irresponsible decisions that led us into it. We need to force the neocons out of their virtual entitlements and into the real world where you can't just turn the game off.
To respond to The Voice of Reason, I think you're kidding yourself if you think it's not possible to separate yourself from a game's underlying message.
Every day, thousands (millions?) of gamers play their way as any number of characters. They're a ninja, thug, SWAT, SEAL, sniper, etc. Those that are unable to separate themselves from any game's message are those that are easily influenced. They could be influenced by the game they play, or the commercial they saw, or the ad they read. It is the person that dictates their level of awareness.
Then there are those (I count myself as well) that enjoy spending time playing as a SEAL (for example). I have no interest in the armed forces and will never have an interest. My time spent playing these games is time I set aside for fun; nothing more. I'm quite aware of the current political situation and I don't play games to be reminded of it.
This is a foolish endeavour by an individual that has no understanding of the audience he is speaking to. Posting line after line of names is called noise. And everybody (gamer or not) tunes out noise. To believe that a subtle thing like allowing yourself to be killed in an online game will make any difference is the height of arrogance. I would think it is you that is kidding yourself if you believe all gamers are unable to separate an activity from a message. We do it all the time.
This is a strategy that will infuriate those he hopes to reach. It would appear only those that are outside of the environment are the ones applauding.
Based on your choice of words ("those people"?), I will assume that you do not play "these games". And that is why you (and those like you) are unable to utilize these formats for effective protest. You've forgotten the most basic aspect of the situation: it's a game, we're there to play.
I'll never understand how anyone can play at being a soldier while thousands of men and women are doing the real thing and being killed or maimed.
I'm not against violent video games in themselves. Playing this one just seems distasteful at this time.
All these gamers who hide behind the defense that its just a game and they are just playing and it doesn't mean anything and they know better blah blah f*cking blah. Why do you have to play a violent games? why games that simulate the army? why games that simulate this particular war? why violent games simulating the army simulating this f*cking stupid war that are funded by my tax dollars and the goddamn pentagon? Do you think the army would invest 10 million dollars if they didn't know that it works? It works jackass. every minute you waste on that joystick is one minute less you could be thinking about what's really going on. You want to play so bad? go. enjoy your war. Maybe we can send all you glassy eyed jerks and your crazy jihadist counterparts to the moon and you can all skull f*ck eachother all you want, leave the rest of us in PEACE.
I bet your so pissed off right now you just want to punch me. Better yet grab a gun and shoot me. Wouldn't that feel so good?
There was no draft. Our military is all volunteer. Everyone in it is there of their own free will.
Being both a college journalism student and a veteran of internet first-person shooters, I have no idea why Ms. Clarren felt like writing an article about this.
The guy is protesting the Iraq war by being a spamming newbie with a weird name on an America's Army server?
Believe me, the people who play these games are not exactly worth preaching to. In an environment where "lolz u r teh gay" the pinnacle of political speech, making your handle that of a dead soldier is political protest for the lazy. Screwing up a server because you feel like being essentially AFK (away from keyboard; not moving or shooting) is annoying and pointless.
"Performance art"? I don't understand why he feels the need to mess up a game by not doing anything. The Army isn't paying any attention to some guy in a server on their videogame, and the people who play with this guy are simply going to be annoyed because one team has to carry around the dead weight of a spammer.
For those who aren't aware of another, more popular, online game called Counter-Strike, it's a game where Counter-Terrorists fight Terrorists and try and prevent them from blowing up a target.
I was an avid Counter-Strike player in 2001, and I joined a server with a bunch of my online friends when I got home from school on this one particular day in 2001. I announced to everyone that I was only going to play Counter-Terrorists that day, to commemorate what had happened. I recieved a few echoes of agreement and a few players switching teams to join me.
That day was September 11th, 2001. That was my personal video-game memorial.
But you know what? I still shot people playing Terrorists on that day, and I still defused bombs that they had planted.
It's a videogame. Being a worthless lump just pisses ordinary players off because he's not playing will only make them angry and probably less likely to actually be motivated in helping out his cause. Go protest people who actually make decisions, like... I don't know... politicians!
Much of the initial coverage about Fort Hood turned out to be wrong. Is there anything wrong with that?
The accountability imposed by another country for the CIA's kidnapping and torture reveals much about our own.
Fox News' morning show plays to type, talking about whether Muslims in the Army should face "special debriefings"
The survivor and author is upset about comparisons some on the right are making to genocide
Once seen as a lunatic fringe, reactionary anti-women groups are courting respectability
Salon headlines in your mailbox
