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A Gaming War Between Islam and the West?
The Washington Post has up an article looking at a burgeoning venue for political expression: gaming. Between 'The Quest for Bush', Counter-Strike mods, and more serious titles with a political slant, the political arena is quickly claiming gamers for their own. It's not just politics either; there are some excellent titles being released that attempt some truly insightful social commentary. From the article: "'UnderAsh,' released by Afkar Media in 2002, views the first intifada from the eyes of Ahmad, a Palestinian teenager resisting the Israeli occupation. Last year a sequel was released. A teaser to 'UnderSiege,' which tells the stories of five Palestinian families during the second intifada, shows a Palestinian teenager being shot on the street; an Israeli soldier appears to pound him with a concrete block seconds later. 'Our games are not propaganda,' Kasmiya says. 'Our games are a reflection of our history -- past or present. The fact is, most movies, most TV shows, most video games put Muslims in a bad light, so we have to try to tell our side of the story.'" Commentary from GamePolitics is also available.
The fact is, most movies, most TV shows, most video games put Muslims in a bad light, so we have to try to tell our side of the story.
Most movie producing nations have a problem with Islamic fundamentalist terrorism, so it's not really all that suprising that they cast Muslims as the baddies. If you're concerned with the way you're portrayed how about you stop blowing us up?
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You forgot to count Israeli terrorism (shooting at unarmed civilians in palestinian territories and in south Lebanon)
You also forgot US terrorism.
Islamic terrorists are in very good company with these 2 countries.
"Of course wanting to slaughter your enemies because they have been beating the ever living shit out of you for decades now has nothing to do with it. Nothing at all."
So this excuses rabid antisemitism? You forget the fact that this mostly one-way rabid hatred of Jewish people goes back to before Israel, before the Zionist movement. I wonder if it would ever occur to them that if they stopped attacking Israel, Israel will leave them alone. It worked when Egypt tried it.
Where were you when the voynix came?
> As I recall, that conflict came to an end through negotiation and diplomacy.
And negotiation and diplomacy became possible when state sponshorship of the terrorists ended. Negotiation became possible when both sides were actually able to engage in diplomacy, when anyone on the IRA side who suggested out loud that compromise might be a good idea didn't get a quick death.
I suspect that if we leaned REAL hard (as in cut the crap or we allow Israel to bomb your sorry asses from the 7th century all the way back to the stone age) on Syria, Iran, Saudia Arabia, etc. to cut off Hamas and Fatah cold, they too would soon come to the bargaining table in good faith and that a lasting peace would suddenly become possible where none can currently be imagined. Same for Lebanon. Same for Iraq.
> I dont recall seeing British helicopter gunships levelling Belfast.
But that method would have also worked. That price was too high for your public to accept. I'll let the historians decide if they were right. But had the Cold War dragged on another twenty years they might have changed their minds.
> I agree with you, the terrorists should be hunted down and wiped out, but it needs to be a precise and
> targeted attack. Every bit of 'collateral damage' just ramps up support for the terrorists.
Yes and no. Terrorists use civilians as human shields, but they can only get away with those tactics if the civilians at least give a grudging approval to the terrorists cause. Making them more than slightly responsible. One way to break that link between terrorists and the civilian population is to make the price of harboring them too high for them to bear. Bring the pain up enough they either expel the terrorists or turn em in.
This would be especially effective in a focused campaign to burn out the fever from certain regions. Simply make it known that certain groups are now outlawed and ANY overt support will bring terrible retribution. See a giant poster of a 'marytr' on a building? If the owner doesn't live in the building give him two hours to correct the problem or you blow the building. If the owner does live in the building, assume he approves and blow it with him inside. Big demonstration for Hamas? Blow it the hell up and don't listen to any carping about who was blown up. Bonus points if you get a camera crew, they should have read the memo about the danger inherent to being near terrorists.
Democrat delenda est
There is a perpetual scam carried out by speakers of Arabic. English is widely spoken in Arabic speaking countries and so English media are well known in the Arabic speaking world. On the other hand, you can publish what you like in the Arabic speaking world, and be offensive as you like about Jews, Christians and others, and there will be very little publicity outside of the Arabic speaking world.
Doesn't it make you feel good to know that our freedoms are protected by politicans, lawyers and journalists.
people act as if bush matters long term, he will be a footnote president in 10 years at most.
Right, just like WWII was a "footnote" by 1957. Not. Saying that makes you an idiot, plain and simple.