Baghdad Gamer Discusses Iraq's Videogame Past

Thanks to Salon.com for its article [ad click-thru required] profiling the videogame-playing, Baghdad-based owner of the 'Healing Iraq' weblog, as previously referenced in Slashdot Games articles. The weblog author, Zeyad, explains how he "started playing Sierra adventure games" like Leisure Suit Larry when he was 11 or 12, and "learned a lot about American culture from these games." He goes on to note that the Iraqi secret police had agents "whose jobs were to play and finish these games to find out if there was any mention of Iraq or Saddam", recounting the rumors that "there was a specific code or combo [in Mortal Kombat] that would spawn Saddam Hussein and his bodyguards to finish the opponent." Zeyad also criticizes the realism of some Iraq-based games such as Conflict: Desert Storm, pointing out that "the voice acting was terrible - the Iraqi soldiers talked in an Egyptian accent."

Comments

He learned all about the US from *what*?

[johannesg]

Well, that certainly explains a few things... If your only contact with western civilisation is through Leisure Suit Larry and Mortal Kombat, I understand why they hate it so much.

Re:He learned all about the US from *what*?

[Anonymous Coward]

One would think they'd have a better attitude. If someone can rip my spine out, I tend to be a little more polite and non-confrontational.

And if they're an undead ninja with the ability to teleport behind me, well then I'm down right gracious.

Re:He learned all about the US from *what*?

[torpor]

... and of course the same could be said for Americans whose only contact with Iraqi's is through CNN, Desert Warrior, et al.

Its actually not a funny observation, in my opinion. If only there were a "naive" tag.

Re:He learned all about the US from *what*?

[torpor]

No, listen, you sad human being.

The original posters *ASSERTION* that Iraqi's hate Americans comes from his observation of Iraqi's through American Media.

*That* is my point. Iraqi's hating Americans == a meme of the American Propaganda Machine.

(Not to say Iraq and most Middle East nations don't have a propaganda machine, mind... and I'm sure that more than a few Iraqi's actually do hate America, and Americans, and frankly I think they have good cause to.)

As for your lame understanding of the structure of American Media, this is from a couple years back:

Maj. Thomas Collins, U.S. Information Service has confirmed that "psyops" (psychological operations) personnel, soldiers and officers, have worked in the CNN headquarters in Atlanta. The lend/lease exercise was part of an Army program called "Training With Industry." According to Collins, the soldiers and officers, "... worked as regular employees of CNN. Conceivably, they would have worked on stories during the Kosovo war. They helped in the production of news."

When asked if the introduction of military personnel into a civilian news organization was standard operating procedure, one source said, "That question is above my pay grade ... but I hope so. It's what we do."

The CNN military personnel were members of the Airmobile Fourth Psychological Operations Group, stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. One of the main tasks of this group of almost 1200 soldiers and officers is to spread 'selected information.' Critics say that means dissemination of propaganda.


The Pentagon has agents in -every- major American news corporation. It is an operational and key part of the PATRIOT Act, and the various bills which created the Department of Homeland Security, which also has agents in all major media outlets in the US.

Stupid fucking cowards can't reply with anything so they just mark down shit they don't agree with (or, most likely, don't comprehend).


Fascist:

defn. : A reactionary or dictatorial person.

American Fascism. It exists. It is real. You can observe its effects in 10 minutes of discussion with any American Teenager.

I learnt US culture by watching US porn..

[Anonymous Coward]

I learned that all US girls have fake tits.
I learned that the washing machine repair guy doesn't know anything about repairing things.
I learnt that Americans can't cope with complex plots.

Girls Gone Wild

[Anonymous Coward]

Just wait until they get a copy of Girls Gone Wild...

The Desert Storm footage on CNN...

[wheresdrew]

...did look an awful lot like Missle Command.

Re:Lovely

[GonzoDave]

What? He learned that we're a bunch of seersucker-wearing middle-aged viagra-crazed nitwits who like to spend our extra time fishing for rings in ladies bathrooms, root through ashtrays for hints and buy wine from places that sell condoms too? We live in constant fear of murderous cars as well