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#71

Off the Record / Re: Israel-Hamas War 2023

Last post by viper37 - December 03, 2024, 02:34:21 PM

You bolded the wrong part, not unsurpringly.

However, I have also played Call of Duty Black Ops 6 and Nijm is definitely making a fair point. His description of how the game treats Iraqi soldiers doesn't even convey how fully dehumanized they are in that game, which seems especially in bad taste now that it is widely agreed upon that what the U.S. military did to Iraq was one of the worst mistakes in the history of foreign policy. This is not to mention countless other Call of Duty and other first-person shooter games in which Arabs, Russians, and other nationalities are treated as nothing more than canon fodder. If you, like me, played video games your entire life you probably have killed hundreds of thousands of Arab video game NPCs. Fursan al-Aqsa's violation and the reason the UK appears to have deemed it "extremist" is that in this case the player character is a Palestinian and the enemies are Israeli soldiers.

Another notable difference is that while Call of Duty has increasingly flirted with referencing real and current conflicts (the first Modern Warfare, which has levels that resemble the U.S. invasion of Iraq but takes place in a fictional country, came out only four years after the invasion), the Operation al-Aqsa Flood Update is referencing a shocking attack that is just over a year old, and is now still an active war.

Again, my professional opinion as someone who reviewed video games for many years is that Fursan al-Aqsa sucks, and also in bad taste if you choose to judge it in that way. As Nijm points out, the same is true for Call of Duty. Valve so far has not made the distinction between the two, but the UK government has.

bad game, but nothing different than any other shooter of the genre with regard to contents, except that you are killing Israelis instead of Arabs or Russians.

#72

Off the Record / Re: South Korea declares marti...

Last post by Sheilbh - December 03, 2024, 02:26:44 PM

And on the unions, Korean TUC launching an indefinite general strike and mobilisation for protest until the President and his supporters step down.

#73

Off the Record / Re: South Korea declares marti...

Last post by HVC - December 03, 2024, 02:16:24 PM

So... if the north was ever to invade now would be the opportune moment.

#74

Off the Record / Re: What does a TRUMP presiden...

Last post by viper37 - December 03, 2024, 02:10:30 PM

Why would we get the Louisiana treatment?

Probably this:

It's not vastly different than what happened in English Canada at the same time.

#75

Off the Record / Re: South Korea declares marti...

Last post by Legbiter - December 03, 2024, 02:08:23 PM

Absolute shitshow yeah.

#76

Off the Record / Re: What does a TRUMP presiden...

Last post by viper37 - December 03, 2024, 02:07:21 PM

A fringe Quebec provincial party campaigns on having Quebec join the USA. They believe our invitation still stands to this day.

That invitation was only good while Benedict Arnold's army was invading.

Americans are still coming to Quebec city to this day.  I'm sure there are descendants of Benedict Arnold's army in the lot.

#77

Off the Record / Re: What does a TRUMP presiden...

Last post by viper37 - December 03, 2024, 02:05:37 PM

All of Canada as one megastate?  It'd be the ultimate battleground state.

That's the thing - it wouldn't be.  It would be like adding a new California, guaranteeing Democratic victories for a generation.

More like adding a new Washington or New York. Canada isn't really much like California.

Population of California - 39 million
Population of Canada - 40 million

Remember Canada has more land area than the entire United States, so obviously Canada as a whole isn't "like" any one particular state.  But Canada as the 51st state would have the largest population in the union, and would vote reliably Democratic in the short to medium term - and thus would be like California.

I thought you were making a cultural statement

Though, like Canada, California's NHL teams all suck.

The Maple Leafs and the Jets aren't doing bad - outside of playoffs

#78

Off the Record / Re: South Korea declares marti...

Last post by HVC - December 03, 2024, 02:01:02 PM

The South Korean parliament has voted to block the imposition of martial law but the military is saying it will maintain it until the President lifts it. He has around 25% approval rating...

Well that's not good.

#79

Off the Record / Re: South Korea declares marti...

Last post by Legbiter - December 03, 2024, 01:59:46 PM

If you're a wonnabe strongman you have to now act bigly to secure a place in the  queue outside Mara-largo.

The timing is interesting yeah.

Whoever is currently running the US better get on this fast. 

#80

Off the Record / Re: South Korea declares marti...

Last post by Darth Wagtaros - December 03, 2024, 01:58:55 PM

I guess we'll be going through something similar in a month.