I stumbled across a rather disturbing article today. It says that the Pentagon has funded a computer game called America's Army in a bid to recruit troops. The article also explains that a war activist has been using the game to make a statement about the war in Iraq.
I would like to know how people feel about the Pentagon using taxpayers money to fund violent computer games? Is this inappropriate use of money and what sort of message does it send to the community?
My personal opinion is that it is extremely inappropriate and I cannot believe a military would encourage violence in such an extraordinary way. I would also like to add that I believe the protest is in bad taste... please read on.
QUOTE |
America's Army To most of the fellow players he encounters in the shoot-'em-up online game called America's Army, Joseph DeLappe is a serial pest. For starters, the man just doesn't fight like virtual warriors are supposed to fight. As soon as he logs on, he inputs the command to drop his weapon. Instead of shooting to kill, he's content to become cannon fodder for the trigger-happy millions who regularly play this popular game. Point is, he wants his man to die and he's gone down this path over and over again since he began this sitting duck routine 14 months ago. DeLappe has turned his "intervention" into a game within a game with a goal of recording every US military death in Iraq. The irony is, he's doing this part protest, part memorial in America's Army - an interactive project funded by the Pentagon which it uses to enlist recruits, some of whom are destined to fight in the very war that DeLappe is opposing. "I was trying to say something about what's going on and the complete disconnect between the citizenry and what's been happening [in Iraq]," explains DeLappe, 44, an associate professor of art at the University of Nevada, Reno. "It just made me angry and I wanted to do something that drove home the reality of it." As the game continues around him after he is killed - and usually under a hail of abuse from the other players - DeLappe types in the name, age, service branch and the date of death of each soldier. Because nothing remains in the game after the session expires, DeLappe takes a screen shot of his handiwork and posts it on his website. |
International Level: Negotiator / Political Participation: 453 45.3%
Arvhic, you already started a Thread about this Topic here: Islam: The Propaganda War.
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