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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 problem is that, in general, Palestinians are like anti-abortionists. It doesn't matter what compromise you offer them, they're never satisfied and they won't be satisfied until either they're dead or the other side is dead. On several occasions Palestine has been offered it's own share of land and a normal representation and they won't take it. They just keep saying, "Death to Isreal!!!" like complete morons. It's just like "pro-lifers." Even when the pro-choice side offers a compromise like Bill Clinton did (safe, legal and rare), they just won't take it. And they'd be just as violent if it wasn't for our police force catching them so quickly.
And to you "pro-lifers" out there: "Safe, legal and rare" IS a compromise. It seeks to establish and education that abortion is wrong and shouldn't be done. It seeks to advocate adoption for unwanted children. It also seeks to prevent unwanted children by preventing the pregnancy in the first place with safe-sex-based sex ed, as well as birth control and condom distribution. The numbers clearly show that abstinance only education doesn't work and is less successful than safe sex education; therefore, abstinance-only education shouldn't be used. (Most "pro-lifers" are also anti-safe-sex-ed.) Evidence also clearly shows that free condom distribution (especially to high school students) and making birth control availabl to anyone (including minors, without parental notification) both SERIOUSLY REDUCE unwanted pregnancies and abortions. We need to use what works, not what crazy preachers think the bible says (read the Gospels and then tell me that you should follow Leviticus' rules; read Romans and then tell me that Jesus gave a shit about what Paul thought.).
On another abortion note (sorry to tangent, but comparing is Palestinians to anti-abortionists is going to get me flamed, so I may as well start defending myself early), the number of abortions per capita is directly related to the number of unwanted pregnancies and has nothing to do with availability. The number of abortions in Texas didn't rise after Roe v. Wade. The only difference between having abortions legal and having them illegal is how many women die as a result of having one. So you see, illegalizing abortion is really a pro-death-of-the-mother action and not a pro-life-of-the-baby action. A true pro-life advocate would seek to promote safe sex, condoms, birth control and adoption and not seek to illegalize abortion, hence the reason I refuse to call anti-abortionist pro-life.
And, no, I don't consider abortion morally acceptable; I just refuse to take a position without first considering both sides. Of course, I don't consider war, or any other type of violence (even most police action) to be morally acceptable either, under nearly any circumstance. To do so would be unethical. I just wish I could give up eating meat and become more in line with my chosen values.
If you want those numbers, just say the word and I'll dig them up.
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My 'E' key sticks in case you're wondering.
"Israel has UN resolutions against them for what amounts to war-crimes"
The main "crime" for which they are condemned is existing. Much of the others have to do with condemning Israel for fighting back when attacked and condemning Israel for legally occupying countries after these countries attack it and refuse to call off the attacks. The characterization of the UN being "antisemitic" is accurate. That is the root of these "resolutions". Why does Syria invade Lebanon and do far worse, but it's Israel that gets the resolutions against it? The resolutions reflect hypocritical hatred of a nation and its people. Also, when several of the worst antisemitic resolutions passed, an actual card-carrying Nazi (Kurt Waldheim) ran the UN. This is no mere Godwin invocation: Waldheim belonged to Hitler's actual organization.
You claim not to be antisemitic, but you nicely bring up the "media influence" (codeword for "Jews control the media"). Further on you say "people are generally as likeable as anyone else and often a bit smarter" as if this attempt at positive racism (one ethnic group more intelligent than the other???) is any good. Actually, it fits in with well-troden stereotypes of the cunningly intelligent, evil, conniving Jew.
"That holocast (which did happen of course, but was much smaller in scope than is advertised)"
There is a very strong correlation between those who lie about the Holocaust and claim it did not occur or was much less than it actually was (as you just did) with people who are antisemitic. This, along with your claim that Jews caused the Holocaust that you falsely claim was small, is indeed "HATEFUL TO JEWISH PEOPLE"
So here we have false claims about Israel in order to bash Jews, and false claims about the Holocaust in order to bash Jews. I don't "call you antisemitic". You identify yourself as such with the irrational Jew-bashing and smearing Jews with hatred. Not surprising that you post as an AC.
Where were you when the voynix came?
"I really think that Israel is wrong in most of the things they do with Palestinian people, and them invading Lebanon"
Why is it OK then for Lebanon to invade Israel, but not for Israel to fight back? That is what happened here. I'm glad to see you have backed away from the claim that the holocaust was smaller than it actually was and that Jews created and ran it.
Where were you when the voynix came?