Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!

Pundit Says Video Games Are Making Men "Pathetic"

1235

Comments

  • XasherXasher Member Posts: 5

    The only  nonminority in our society are men, you check off male on a job application and it goes to the bottom of the pile. But it's not because we are male that this is happening it's because generally acrossed the board women make less money then men, lower wages equates to more jobs for women.

    I guess there are alternatives for men then playing video games. Men could be getting married, being miserable, becoming alcholics and beating there wives and kids.  That is what Pundit's generation did.

  • NailzzzNailzzz Member UncommonPosts: 515

    Originally posted by Xasher

    The only  nonminority in our society are men, you check off male on a job application and it goes to the bottom of the pile. But it's not because we are male that this is happening it's because generally acrossed the board women make less money then men, lower wages equates to more jobs for women.

    I guess there are alternatives for men then playing video games. Men could be getting married, being miserable, becoming alcholics and beating there wives and kids.  That is what Pundit's generation did.

    http://www.consad.com/content/reports/Gender%20Wage%20Gap%20Final%20Report.pdf 

         This link is for the consad report which was compiled for the dept of labor in the U.S. It explains the "wage gap" in great detail. You might find it an interesting read as it goes into the real reasons that such a gap exists pretty much from the start. (hint: its not discrimination against women).

  • SojhinSojhin Member UncommonPosts: 226

    I find Mr. Bennetts arguement flacid when considering the decline in "Manhood", "Manly Men" , or whatever you would call it started long prior to the invention of computer games.  If he would continue to throw darts at this proverbial donkey he should aim at the mandated education system in America first.

    I believe then we can have the correct argument and that is a society run by liberty which America was at one point and now has slowly been leaving more and more since the first generation of school children were mandated by the government in 1840.  Prior to this education system that is employed today as a cudgel to manhood boys were men prior to 15 and through very limited schooling learned what is most important about life; self-learning is more important then being told what to learn, self reliance instead of over protection, and gaining maturity because of these actions.

    Now boys cannot become men as readily I believe because they are shackled in school rooms.

     

     

  • karankaran Member Posts: 22
    Harsh words, but not entirely incorrect.
  • Nerf09Nerf09 Member CommonPosts: 2,953

    Originally posted by Sojhin

    I find Mr. Bennetts arguement flacid when considering the decline in "Manhood", "Manly Men" , or whatever you would call it started long prior to the invention of computer games.  If he would continue to throw darts at this proverbial donkey he should aim at the mandated education system in America first.

    I believe then we can have the correct argument and that is a society run by liberty which America was at one point and now has slowly been leaving more and more since the first generation of school children were mandated by the government in 1840.  Prior to this education system that is employed today as a cudgel to manhood boys were men prior to 15 and through very limited schooling learned what is most important about life; self-learning is more important then being told what to learn, self reliance instead of over protection, and gaining maturity because of these actions.

    Now boys cannot become men as readily I believe because they are shackled in school rooms.

     

     

    Nothing says Reactionary better than wanting to return to the good old days where the poor and lower middle class children couldn't afford go to elementary school and literacy was below 50%.

  • MurlockDanceMurlockDance Member Posts: 1,223

    Ugh, who cares what that twerp says?! We're living in a period of huge economic crisis and everyone between 18-45 is basically part of the 'lost generation'. After having spent so many years in education getting a good degree and leap-frogging from job to job and periods of unemployment I didn't want, I still feel I haven't really gotten anywhere. The chances of ever owning a house and raising a family are nil in my case. Though I am a woman, I am sure there are many men who are in my situation completely... life's chances are very narrow these days whether you are male or female.

    So who's to tell us that we can't blow off some stress on a videogame at the end of the day after work, school, whatever? Men aren't the only ones playing videogames, and they're not the only ones who are single...

    If anything, if I ever found a guy I would want him to be a gamer like me. We could play video games together as a pleasant passtime.

    Playing MUDs and MMOs since 1994.

    image
  • SorrowSorrow Member Posts: 1,195

    Huh,

     

    First off have to love how someone from the department of education tries to blame video games.

     

    He is right that men are pathetic, but let's take that further and say American men are pathetic.

     

    But let's get real and honest, the reason they are pathetic is because of a piss-poor education system that has failed totally and completely in every standard across the board. However let's take that a step further as well, and say the traditional family unit has failed totally and completely as well.

    I grew up in a time and society where our public schools were just beginning their decline, arts and culture programs still had funding, and students were not just educated, we were well educated, we weren't just taught to pass a standardized test, we were taught to be creative intelligent free-thinkers, forward thinkers, but we were also taught to love and respect ourselves, our neighbors, our community, and our nation. We were given the tools not only to succede, but to excede.

    I grew up in a time where even in tough times, my father was able to go to work 8 hours a day, 5 days a week and not only support his family, but to provide us with an excess as well. A family where our mother could afford to be a stay at home parent, and be involved in our education, be a PTA volunteer mom at our school. Now days even if you have both parents in the picture they are both working 2 jobs just to keep you fed, and forget excess, they are so deep in debt and living so far behind even with their best effort they are ending up homeless.

    Now granted there is a trend underway in the Video game industry to make dumber and dumber games for dumber and dumber players, but that is not the developers fault, they have to target the majority audience and sadly gamers are getting dumber and dumber due to a failed education. I can not begin to tell you how often I hear in games someone respond to a question with " OMG read the quest ", or " OMG read the instructions " sad part is many of the gamers playing can't read, and God forbid they have to reason, or think for themselves, to use logic or reasoning capabilites.

    America is in the toilet, and its getting worse every day but to blame this decline on the Video game industry, rather than having the courage and honestly to step-up and claim responsibility himself, well that is what is truly " pathetic ".

    image

  • MurlockDanceMurlockDance Member Posts: 1,223

    Originally posted by Sorrow

    Huh,

     

    First off have to love how someone from the department of education tries to blame video games.

     

    He is right that men are pathetic, but let's take that further and say American men are pathetic.

     

    But let's get real and honest, the reason they are pathetic is because of a piss-poor education system that has failed totally and completely in every standard across the board. However let's take that a step further as well, and say the traditional family unit has failed totally and completely as well.

    I grew up in a time and society where our public schools were just beginning their decline, arts and culture programs still had funding, and students were not just educated, we were well educated, we weren't just taught to pass a standardized test, we were taught to be creative intelligent free-thinkers, forward thinkers, but we were also taught to love and respect ourselves, our neighbors, our community, and our nation. We were given the tools not only to succede, but to excede.

    I grew up in a time where even in tough times, my father was able to go to work 8 hours a day, 5 days a week and not only support his family, but to provide us with an excess as well. A family where our mother could afford to be a stay at home parent, and be involved in our education, be a PTA volunteer mom at our school. Now days even if you have both parents in the picture they are both working 2 jobs just to keep you fed, and forget excess, they are so deep in debt and living so far behind even with their best effort they are ending up homeless.

    Now granted there is a trend underway in the Video game industry to make dumber and dumber games for dumber and dumber players, but that is not the developers fault, they have to target the majority audience and sadly gamers are getting dumber and dumber due to a failed education. I can not begin to tell you how often I hear in games someone respond to a question with " OMG read the quest ", or " OMG read the instructions " sad part is many of the gamers playing can't read, and God forbid they have to reason, or think for themselves, to use logic or reasoning capabilites.

    America is in the toilet, and its getting worse every day but to blame this decline on the Video game industry, rather than having the courage and honestly to step-up and claim responsibility himself, well that is what is truly " pathetic ".



    You hit upon something i.e. the fact that there is no real middle class anymore and we're all engaged in a form of slavery. We're not really living. We're struggling.

    Videogames are a good way to escape from this nightmare for a few hours a day if people even engage in it for a few hours a day.

    Thirty years ago, this jerk could have said the same thing about TV... I would say that TV is much more passive and probably has a worse effect on the health of a person's brain than a videogame does that the player is actively engaged in. TV is hypnotic and a vehicle for brainwashing the masses.

    Besides, even if men did suddenly drop all of their videogames now, what would it change? Again, we're living in a period of great economic crisis where many doors have closed on opportunity. How is freeing up 2-3 or more hours a day going to avail someone of any better chances? A lot of my university friends, who invested tens or thousands of dollars and years in their education to get a good degree, are not really doing so hot.

    Videogames are just a hobby. Sure there are some escapists who play them all day everyday, but I think they're a minority nowadays. I haven't really met many players recently who are like that... they were far more common at the start of the MMO period than now. Most of my colleagues do not play videogames that much but they do at least some of the time, and yet there they are having families, supporting them, working, etc.

    Women are playing videogames more than ever now too. Does that mean we're not real women?

    Completely ridiculous!

    Playing MUDs and MMOs since 1994.

    image
  • SorrowSorrow Member Posts: 1,195

    Now that I have made an intellectual post, let me flip the coin on is side and make a reactionary one.

     

    We the people of the united states of america have lost control of OUR nation, it is no longer a nation of we, it has become a nation of them.

    As much as I abhor violence, historically it is proven to be the only means to undo a corrupt, unjust, and tryanial government from power.

    Our founding fathers knew eventually the system they put in place would fall to its own greed, excess, and corruption.

    They provided that one day we the people would once again be forced to pick up arms against our very government in pursuit of our God given civil liberty. That we the people would one day need to become the patriots of freedom and liberty that they were to give us the freedoms and rights to life, liberty, and the pursuits of happiness they died to provide for their children and their children's children.

    I believe we are quickly approaching the time when we the people through force of arms and our God given right will need to unite, organize, and stand together to reaffirm and provide these freedoms to our own children even at the cost of our own lives.

    image

  • Hopscotch73Hopscotch73 Member UncommonPosts: 971

    Bennett is having a common reaction to the fact that there is a subculture that he has only recently become aware of, that he doesn't understand, and it's larger than he could have imagined.

    Standard response: It must be this that is to blame for the state of the world today. I must share my discovery with the world!

    Hence an ill-researched screed full of reactionary nonsense.

    I am amused by the fact that he sees both female equality and video games as threats, but does not seem at all aware that equality is fast spreading to gaming too - more women game than ever before. So by his lights, this latter point would invalidate all his previous arguments. Women are equally prone to "wasting" our time on games and so should be "failing" equally in society too.

    His attitude is mired in that of his generation, my parents hated the fact that I played games for years, but now they take it as one of my hobbies (along with reading and writing silly stories and other stuff), in my case though a lot of their reaction came from the fact that I'm female and games were considered to be "for boys".

    Sure, he's being reactionary and silly, and scaremongering, but it's because he's out of touch with how the world is these days, he doesn't like or understand the way society has chenged over the course of his life, and these game things are just the handiest "newfangledness" he's picked to scapegoat. 

    The tone of his article was misandrist as well - or to be more honest, that coupled with a series of back-handed compliments to women coming close to partity in the workplace, and the reinforcing of the notion that there's some sort of competition between the sexes was more misanthropic.

    He just doesn't get it.

  • ducesettutamducesettutam Member UncommonPosts: 85

    This is the same old iteration of the Barbara Bush video games are evil. The national average of the college student body is 48% male. This may seem like a down trend untill you factor in that most colleges are required to reserve 15-30% (depending on state and public funding) of their undergraduate enrollment for women. Seems men are still winning the majority of the remaining spots. Beyond that he forgets to factor in the copious amount of litigation by women in the work force that has almost crippled the free market system with an unofficial gender quata at every level of management.

    Simply the deck is stacked these days and we're still making due. Though I love how he forgets to mention that since video games became mainstream in the United States, the rates of violent crime have actually gone down nationaly.

  • krulerkruler Member UncommonPosts: 589

    Originally posted by Sorrow

    Huh,

     

    First off have to love how someone from the department of education tries to blame video games.

     

    He is right that men are pathetic, but let's take that further and say American men are pathetic.

     

    But let's get real and honest, the reason they are pathetic is because of a piss-poor education system that has failed totally and completely in every standard across the board. However let's take that a step further as well, and say the traditional family unit has failed totally and completely as well.

    I grew up in a time and society where our public schools were just beginning their decline, arts and culture programs still had funding, and students were not just educated, we were well educated, we weren't just taught to pass a standardized test, we were taught to be creative intelligent free-thinkers, forward thinkers, but we were also taught to love and respect ourselves, our neighbors, our community, and our nation. We were given the tools not only to succede, but to excede.

    I grew up in a time where even in tough times, my father was able to go to work 8 hours a day, 5 days a week and not only support his family, but to provide us with an excess as well. A family where our mother could afford to be a stay at home parent, and be involved in our education, be a PTA volunteer mom at our school. Now days even if you have both parents in the picture they are both working 2 jobs just to keep you fed, and forget excess, they are so deep in debt and living so far behind even with their best effort they are ending up homeless.

    Now granted there is a trend underway in the Video game industry to make dumber and dumber games for dumber and dumber players, but that is not the developers fault, they have to target the majority audience and sadly gamers are getting dumber and dumber due to a failed education. I can not begin to tell you how often I hear in games someone respond to a question with " OMG read the quest ", or " OMG read the instructions " sad part is many of the gamers playing can't read, and God forbid they have to reason, or think for themselves, to use logic or reasoning capabilites.

    America is in the toilet, and its getting worse every day but to blame this decline on the Video game industry, rather than having the courage and honestly to step-up and claim responsibility himself, well that is what is truly " pathetic ".

    Well put points, couldnt agree with you more.

  • SojhinSojhin Member UncommonPosts: 226

    Originally posted by Nerf09

    Originally posted by Sojhin

    I find Mr. Bennetts arguement flacid when considering the decline in "Manhood", "Manly Men" , or whatever you would call it started long prior to the invention of computer games.  If he would continue to throw darts at this proverbial donkey he should aim at the mandated education system in America first.

    I believe then we can have the correct argument and that is a society run by liberty which America was at one point and now has slowly been leaving more and more since the first generation of school children were mandated by the government in 1840.  Prior to this education system that is employed today as a cudgel to manhood boys were men prior to 15 and through very limited schooling learned what is most important about life; self-learning is more important then being told what to learn, self reliance instead of over protection, and gaining maturity because of these actions.

    Now boys cannot become men as readily I believe because they are shackled in school rooms.

     

     

    Nothing says Reactionary better than wanting to return to the good old days where the poor and lower middle class children couldn't afford go to elementary school and literacy was below 50%.

     

    .... Reactionary?  Literacy below 50 percent?  Where is the evidence?  What I know from what information we do have prior to mandated schooling (and that is only anecdotal evidence as official literacy rates began around 1890) is that the rates were closer to 90+ percent. (http://www.johntaylorgatto.com/chapters/3b.htm

    This system at this point (1890) had been in operation for 50 years which was ample time to retard the intellects of the average american.   

    What evidence is there that sending children to school actually produces a high literacy rate anyhow?

  • lectrocudalectrocuda Member Posts: 604

    all people are different

    to generalize is to look at things extremely narrow.

     

    Life is not binary, it is unison.

    This means that we have carefree aspects of our social consciousness and we have logical and ordered aspects.

     

    To suggest that people are being changed by a video game is to ignore the most mind altering substance available to humans, its called life.

     

     

    To the caterpillar it is the end of the world, to the master, it is a butterfly.

  • MurlockDanceMurlockDance Member Posts: 1,223

    Originally posted by lectrocuda

    all people are different

    to generalize is to look at things extremely narrow.

     

    Life is not binary, it is unison.

    This means that we have carefree aspects of our social consciousness and we have logical and ordered aspects.

     

    To suggest that people are being changed by a video game is to ignore the most mind altering substance available to humans, its called life.

     

     

    That's a great point! But also, gaming is just entertainment. Sure, some make it their drug, as I posted about before, but these people would find their drug whether it is gaming, real drugs, gambling, etc. There is a problem in their life they're trying to escape and they'll find a way to escape it. If anything, gaming is perfectly harmless in comparison to what else they could be getting up to.

     

    This is what the folks of conservative leanings fail to understand. You can't eliminate all forms of pass-times because they're 'evil' or whatever. I am sure they have their own pass-times but what makes them better than the rest of us? They get on a high horse and preach to everyone who they should be, what they should think and believe, and try to repress those who don't fit their mould.

    This ideology is extremely dangerous and we the people should not condone it. When I say we the people, I mean those of us in the entire world, not just one country. I am not American, but the conservatives do it here too in my home country. They think that once they get a little bit of political power, they are superior to the rest of us. They are far more dangerous than any videogame. In fact, they call the shots for millions of people, even those who are not citizens of their country!

    Playing MUDs and MMOs since 1994.

    image
  • RequiamerRequiamer Member Posts: 2,034

     






    Originally posted by firefly2003





    Originally posted by Sovrath






    Originally posted by kitarad



    Is it any wonder why people don't want to get married and raise families. Majority of them including myself come from broken homes. I have never seen marriages  happy ones at least  and most just settle. Any wonder why people don't want this for themselves. I am a woman and I play games though so his overall assessment of women have left out the ones that work and play.





    Oh I've seen some very happy long term marriages and some great families. But they are a bit rare. I think that it's good for people to assess their lives and realize that they dont' have to follow some preset course in order to find happiness.

    However, one can find happiness in many traditional pursuits. They just have to be doing them because these things are inherently a part of who they are.

     

     





    None of the people I know who are married are happy nor did they really want to be parents they are just going through the motions and just settled, which by any means is not appealing to me, getting married to conform to societies expectations is rather appaling, so there will and always be more single women out there , cause in reality we're not biting anymore, we don't have to , we want freedom to do what we choose to do with our lives.



     

    You are so wrong man.

    One of the greatest stuff for most people is actually to have children. You pretty much can tell it from all those wonderful music from this thematic. Its is one of the most genuine and fulfilling aspect you can have in life, since it is life itself. I know a lot of teenagers and student dislike kids but its only because they are scared by them and their "virgin" nature (i was one of those), but i can assure you they will change their thoughts soon enough. And if you respect this fact, then you will respect marriage for the sake of giving the best environment possible for you kids to grow.

    People are never ever happy to divorce, especially if they have childs and the reason is there. If marriage is forced, it is only by your own will. I'm sure you will understand this soontm enough.

  • SojhinSojhin Member UncommonPosts: 226

    Originally posted by MurlockDance

    Originally posted by lectrocuda

    all people are different

    to generalize is to look at things extremely narrow.

     

    Life is not binary, it is unison.

    This means that we have carefree aspects of our social consciousness and we have logical and ordered aspects.

     

    To suggest that people are being changed by a video game is to ignore the most mind altering substance available to humans, its called life.

     

     

    That's a great point! But also, gaming is just entertainment. Sure, some make it their drug, as I posted about before, but these people would find their drug whether it is gaming, real drugs, gambling, etc. There is a problem in their life they're trying to escape and they'll find a way to escape it. If anything, gaming is perfectly harmless in comparison to what else they could be getting up to.

     

    This is what the folks of conservative leanings fail to understand. You can't eliminate all forms of pass-times because they're 'evil' or whatever. I am sure they have their own pass-times but what makes them better than the rest of us? They get on a high horse and preach to everyone who they should be, what they should think and believe, and try to repress those who don't fit their mould.

    This ideology is extremely dangerous and we the people should not condone it. When I say we the people, I mean those of us in the entire world, not just one country. I am not American, but the conservatives do it here too in my home country. They think that once they get a little bit of political power, they are superior to the rest of us. They are far more dangerous than any videogame. In fact, they call the shots for millions of people, even those who are not citizens of their country!

     

    If you are going to through down labels I suggest you use neocon for people like mr. bennet rather then  conserative.  As for regulating gaming, liberals and neocons are in agreement as both these archtypes are about centeralized power.

    Case in point, rember hillary clinton in 2005...http://www.gamespot.com/news/6129040/clinton-calls-for-federal-game-regulation 

    conservative would I believe be more in line with the libertarion viewpoint as the counter point to neocon-liberal central  government control that actually does want to regulate.

     

  • TerranahTerranah Member UncommonPosts: 3,575

    I think in some ways a segment of the male populations has tuned out.  Many typically male jobs have been exported to other countries.  Ofcourse, they could go to college, but college is expensive.  When I was going to college 20 years ago, there was no help for poor white males.  But if you were a minority or a woman, there were many, many very thick binders full of grants and scholarships.

     

    When my mother graduated, there were only a handful of men in her class.  Why?  I don't know...fluke maybe?

     

    But if males are pathetic, I think it says more about the society that made them that way.

  • MurlockDanceMurlockDance Member Posts: 1,223

    Originally posted by Sojhin

    Originally posted by MurlockDance


    Originally posted by lectrocuda

    all people are different

    to generalize is to look at things extremely narrow.

     

    Life is not binary, it is unison.

    This means that we have carefree aspects of our social consciousness and we have logical and ordered aspects.

     

    To suggest that people are being changed by a video game is to ignore the most mind altering substance available to humans, its called life.

     

     

    That's a great point! But also, gaming is just entertainment. Sure, some make it their drug, as I posted about before, but these people would find their drug whether it is gaming, real drugs, gambling, etc. There is a problem in their life they're trying to escape and they'll find a way to escape it. If anything, gaming is perfectly harmless in comparison to what else they could be getting up to.

     

    This is what the folks of conservative leanings fail to understand. You can't eliminate all forms of pass-times because they're 'evil' or whatever. I am sure they have their own pass-times but what makes them better than the rest of us? They get on a high horse and preach to everyone who they should be, what they should think and believe, and try to repress those who don't fit their mould.

    This ideology is extremely dangerous and we the people should not condone it. When I say we the people, I mean those of us in the entire world, not just one country. I am not American, but the conservatives do it here too in my home country. They think that once they get a little bit of political power, they are superior to the rest of us. They are far more dangerous than any videogame. In fact, they call the shots for millions of people, even those who are not citizens of their country!

     

    If you are going to through down labels I suggest you use neocon for people like mr. bennet rather then  conserative.  As for regulating gaming, liberals and neocons are in agreement as both these archtypes are about centeralized power.

    Case in point, rember hillary clinton in 2005...http://www.gamespot.com/news/6129040/clinton-calls-for-federal-game-regulation 

    conservative would I believe be more in line with the libertarion viewpoint as the counter point to neocon-liberal central  government control that actually does want to regulate.

     

    I am not American, therefore I don't use American nomenclature. Liberal to me is not the same thing as liberal to you.

    Playing MUDs and MMOs since 1994.

    image
  • tatersryummytatersryummy Member Posts: 3

    The men I know are just sick as H*** of working for 20 years and paying on a house that's worth much less than when they bought it. Honestly, us men want to hunt and gaming lets us do just that. I say let women be the professionals, they are just as capable as any man.

  • Nerf09Nerf09 Member CommonPosts: 2,953

    Originally posted by Sojhin

    Originally posted by Nerf09


    Originally posted by Sojhin

    I find Mr. Bennetts arguement flacid when considering the decline in "Manhood", "Manly Men" , or whatever you would call it started long prior to the invention of computer games.  If he would continue to throw darts at this proverbial donkey he should aim at the mandated education system in America first.

    I believe then we can have the correct argument and that is a society run by liberty which America was at one point and now has slowly been leaving more and more since the first generation of school children were mandated by the government in 1840.  Prior to this education system that is employed today as a cudgel to manhood boys were men prior to 15 and through very limited schooling learned what is most important about life; self-learning is more important then being told what to learn, self reliance instead of over protection, and gaining maturity because of these actions.

    Now boys cannot become men as readily I believe because they are shackled in school rooms.

     

     

    Nothing says Reactionary better than wanting to return to the good old days where the poor and lower middle class children couldn't afford go to elementary school and literacy was below 50%.

     

    .... Reactionary?  Literacy below 50 percent?  Where is the evidence?  What I know from what information we do have prior to mandated schooling (and that is only anecdotal evidence as official literacy rates began around 1890) is that the rates were closer to 90+ percent. (http://www.johntaylorgatto.com/chapters/3b.htm

    This system at this point (1890) had been in operation for 50 years which was ample time to retard the intellects of the average american.   

    What evidence is there that sending children to school actually produces a high literacy rate anyhow?

    What evidence is there that sending children to school actually produces a high literacy rate anyhow, hahahaha, that's funny.

  • PhryPhry Member LegendaryPosts: 11,004

    Originally posted by Nerf09

    Originally posted by Sojhin


    Originally posted by Nerf09


    Originally posted by Sojhin

    I find Mr. Bennetts arguement flacid when considering the decline in "Manhood", "Manly Men" , or whatever you would call it started long prior to the invention of computer games.  If he would continue to throw darts at this proverbial donkey he should aim at the mandated education system in America first.

    I believe then we can have the correct argument and that is a society run by liberty which America was at one point and now has slowly been leaving more and more since the first generation of school children were mandated by the government in 1840.  Prior to this education system that is employed today as a cudgel to manhood boys were men prior to 15 and through very limited schooling learned what is most important about life; self-learning is more important then being told what to learn, self reliance instead of over protection, and gaining maturity because of these actions.

    Now boys cannot become men as readily I believe because they are shackled in school rooms.

     

     

    Nothing says Reactionary better than wanting to return to the good old days where the poor and lower middle class children couldn't afford go to elementary school and literacy was below 50%.

     

    .... Reactionary?  Literacy below 50 percent?  Where is the evidence?  What I know from what information we do have prior to mandated schooling (and that is only anecdotal evidence as official literacy rates began around 1890) is that the rates were closer to 90+ percent. (http://www.johntaylorgatto.com/chapters/3b.htm

    This system at this point (1890) had been in operation for 50 years which was ample time to retard the intellects of the average american.   

    What evidence is there that sending children to school actually produces a high literacy rate anyhow?

    What evidence is there that sending children to school actually produces a high literacy rate anyhow, hahahaha, that's funny.

    well if its the same guy who was on the salem communications thing, he's a real stand-up guy, though i think beheading drug dealers might be a bit controversial, as is banning same sex relationships, and abortions..  and he thinks gamers are pathetic.. well.. lets hope people like him don't get into positions of real power eh... image

  • wardoxywardoxy Member UncommonPosts: 81

    "Don't trust a society that tells you you are wasting time on the exact moments you are enjoying life."

     

    This.

  • lectrocudalectrocuda Member Posts: 604

    Originally posted by MurlockDance

    Originally posted by Sojhin


    Originally posted by MurlockDance


    Originally posted by lectrocuda

    all people are different

    to generalize is to look at things extremely narrow.

     

    Life is not binary, it is unison.

    This means that we have carefree aspects of our social consciousness and we have logical and ordered aspects.

     

    To suggest that people are being changed by a video game is to ignore the most mind altering substance available to humans, its called life.

     

     

    That's a great point! But also, gaming is just entertainment. Sure, some make it their drug, as I posted about before, but these people would find their drug whether it is gaming, real drugs, gambling, etc. There is a problem in their life they're trying to escape and they'll find a way to escape it. If anything, gaming is perfectly harmless in comparison to what else they could be getting up to.

     

    This is what the folks of conservative leanings fail to understand. You can't eliminate all forms of pass-times because they're 'evil' or whatever. I am sure they have their own pass-times but what makes them better than the rest of us? They get on a high horse and preach to everyone who they should be, what they should think and believe, and try to repress those who don't fit their mould.

    This ideology is extremely dangerous and we the people should not condone it. When I say we the people, I mean those of us in the entire world, not just one country. I am not American, but the conservatives do it here too in my home country. They think that once they get a little bit of political power, they are superior to the rest of us. They are far more dangerous than any videogame. In fact, they call the shots for millions of people, even those who are not citizens of their country!

     

    If you are going to through down labels I suggest you use neocon for people like mr. bennet rather then  conserative.  As for regulating gaming, liberals and neocons are in agreement as both these archtypes are about centeralized power.

    Case in point, rember hillary clinton in 2005...http://www.gamespot.com/news/6129040/clinton-calls-for-federal-game-regulation 

    conservative would I believe be more in line with the libertarion viewpoint as the counter point to neocon-liberal central  government control that actually does want to regulate.

     

    I am not American, therefore I don't use American nomenclature. Liberal to me is not the same thing as liberal to you.

    I was born and raised in America. I am a bleeding heart liberal. To me this means I believe in freedom and liberty, but I also believe that due to our psuedo capitalist economy their are many complex dynamics that must be considered.

    This is why industry must be regulated.

    This is why we must make allotment for oppressed minorities rights.

    I, at this moment, am an oppressed minority, and conservatives would have me believe that I am going to hell.

    The only thing that makes anybody pathetic is themselves.

    I am curious what you define liberal as

    To the caterpillar it is the end of the world, to the master, it is a butterfly.

  • CactusJackCactusJack Member UncommonPosts: 393

    i thought this thread wasn't supposed to have politics or religion in it. I'm a bit surprised it's still active. I find it damn near impossible to have a healthy discussion about a topic that is concerning a volatile subject such as this that originated from a politician without bringing up politicial views or religious influences.

    If I quoted a politician discussing why female gamers have a higher incidence of abortions than non gamers... could you intelligently discuss this without politics or religion entering in? This whole thread is a warning/ban pinata. Proceed at your own pace.

    Playing: BF4/BF:Hardline, Subnautica 7 days to die
    Hiatus: EvE
    Waiting on: World of Darkness(sigh)
    Interested in: better games in general

This discussion has been closed.