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Venezuela Bans Hostile Videogames and Toys
An anonymous reader writes "In an effort to 'help improve child education and prevent misconduct,' the Venezuelan government began enforcing a law on March 3rd banning war videogames and toys, imposing a fine and 2.5 years in prison on the production, distribution, sale, hiring and use of video games and toys inciting violent behavior. Alberto Federico Ravell, former director of opposing news network Globovision, has already come on twitter denouncing the authorities for seizing imported Gameboy, Wii and PlayStation 3 consoles, due to considering them violent."
Tinpot dictator does something stupid. Story at 11.
How about seize nothing, because this law is retarded.
"Ubuntu" -- an African word, meaning "Slackware is too hard for me". - stolen from Dan C alt.os.linux.slackware
As a gamer talking to a parent I ask you: WHy in hell do you want ME to suffer for YOU to educate YOUR CHILD in whichever way YOU decide?
Do I violent gamer have a say in how you educate your children? Then why do you advocate in favor of people telling ME how to educate MINE?
NO SIG
If they have no video games they'll go outside and play ... and then encounter other children who are being forced to have 'fun' ... which of course will result in some altercations ... a percentage of these will be violent ... and viola! They no longer need video games to incite violent behavior. Problem solved.
You are the embodiment of everything that is wrong with actions and laws such as these. It is not the governments place to parent your children yet you cheer them on every time they do.
You think of your children, no one else should have to.
"I use a Mac because I'm just better than you are."
However, seizing the consoles seems overboard.
Seizing anything is overboard. You might applaud the effort, but what do your kids learn? That responsibility is someone else's problem and that you have the right to control what others do? Those are the attributes of a reckless bully, exactly how we teach kids not to think. Parents should be against this for that (and the whole freedom of speech trampling of a universal human right thing).
Im Venezuelan, linving in Venezuela. And the seizing of gaming consoles is a lie. The new law, bans violent games and toys. So since yesterday no violent videogames can be imported or sold. The goverment will refund the stores who have violent videogames on their shelves so they dont lose their investment, as same for violent toy. Thats all, Alberto Federico Ravell is a liar and a media terrorist.
What are they going to do when a kid picks up a stick and pretends it's a gun?
As a parent, let alone a human being, you should really FIND OUT about who Hugo is and what he has done to the people of his country.
I work with person from Venezuela, his family is here (U.S.) from Venezuela and they are all, everyone, completely opposed to mad-man, his usurping of power, his decimating the what freedoms the people of his country had, etc.
Hugo and the antics of his government deserve the ridicule and condemnation of all free people. This gaming thing is just a small small piece of the overwhelming oppression he has rained down on his people.
Yeah. Grandchildren!
He was elected to being with, and that election seems to have been fair. However since then he has been taking increasingly underhanded methods of retaining power, stifling dissent and so on.
Do remember that a large number of dictators are elected to power initially. They then just misuse the power and suppress freedom. That someone was elected initially doesn't mean they aren't a dictator now.
killing other humans is just as if not more natural than sex.
Linux Zealots: Smarter than Mac Zealots, but still zealots.
So, in your crazy little head, assassinating someone - which the CIA and our proxy Mossad do regularly - is the activity of a thuggish dictatorship...
I guess when Chavez plots an assassination of a government we subsidize, that's a crime. However, when we carry out plotted assassinations against our enemies, it's justice. Yes, it makes perfect sense to me now!
Hypocrisy? What's that, a new Morrissey cover band?
As much as I hate censorship, I do agree with this sentiment. Has anyone actually sat down and watched a kids' show? Ben10 has something like 10 violent acts every 3 minutes.
Being anti-censorship does not mean "anything goes". I am the primary carer (uncle for my adopted nephew) for a 4 year old, and I can tell you there is a marked increase in hyperactive behavior, aggression and general lack of control for hours after watching Nickelodeon. Consequently, I have banned TV in my house. It was a few days of tantrums, but he's gotten over it, and the improvement in behavior is astonishing.
I flatly refuse to accept that what we watch does not affect us. Movies like Saw and Hostel simply cannot be psychologically inert, the content is just too potent.
"Down with censorship" and "down with psychologically and socially destructive media" are NOT mutually exclusive in the same way that "down with government control" and "down with harming your neighbor" are also not mutually exclusive. Lets grow up past the idea that any control of media that has a negative social impact is censorship and should be fought. Media *can* have a negative impact on social behavior and mental health. Get over it.
I hate printers.
Stomping on people and throwing fireballs is pretty violent, but I dont think Mario made me a bad person.
Yeah, but look at what it did to him .
Now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure everything I just said is completely wrong.
The way things are developing right now in Venezuela, in a couple months we'll have no electricity to power our violent video games anyway.
It's another violation of our rights, but it'll have to take the back seat while we deal with the hijacked supreme court, the lack of separation of powers, 12000+ violent deaths a year, the constants attacks on freedom on speech and the money unlawfully gifted by Chavez to foreign countries while lobbying for its revolution and the 21'st century socialism, and estimated over 50 billion dollars.
This could be called my two cents, but being in Venezuela I can't exchange local to foreign currency freely, another right violation that's 6 years old and counting.
Will add sig later...
Chimp tribes have been observed to go to war with other chimp tribes, and brutally kill them. As repulsive as you may find it, war is a natural activity for humans.
"linux is just DOS with a UNIX like syntax" -- Galactic Dominator (944134)
There is no seizing of consoles, that is a lie. However, this stupid law is true. In short, any sale, rent, distribution or even promotion of video games with any sort of "violence" in it, can get you 3 to 5 years in jail.
It is explained in the law proposal that this is meant to protect the children from violence, but there is no exception for adults. Yes, for ages 18+ porn is legal, prostitution is legal, bearing firearms (with permit) is legal, but video games? no sir.
Most game software companies will be unable to sell their products, the most affected are of course console games.
I oppose this law and the constitution (art. 74) allows a referendum to revoke it. The question is, will enough people get together to start this?
Here is the law in the official print (in spanish).
Key excerpts from this law (forgive my translation):
Article 3.1
War videogame: Those videogames or programs usable in personal computers, arcade systems, video(game)consoles, portable devices or mobile phones and any other electronic or telematic device, which contain information or symbolism images promoting or inciting violence or use of weapons.
Article 14
Any who import, manufacture, sell, rent or distribute war videogames or war toys, shall be penalized with prison from 3 to 5 years.
Artix
Your Linux, your init.
I'm not going to read all that because the fact that you think people who come from spanish, portuguese and the such families are responsible for the slaughter of the indigenous people 300 years ago. You have no idea of how Venezuela is nowadays. It's one of the most dangerous, hostile, and ignorant countries in the world. The "Democratic process" is held by a company who's allied with Chavez. The "aristocratic rich" people are like, i don't know, 1% of the whole population? Yet the last election chavez won by less than 10% of the total votes. Really interesting isn't it? Why does he win? Because the ignorant masses vote for him because he's a ridiculous clown, is funny, and keep saying he helps the poor, which is a sad lie. Why do I know that? For a fact. I live in Venezuela.
Oblivion Awaits