Today is Veterans Day in the US, a day to honor those who’ve served in the armed services. That is, real soldiers, who have fought in real wars.
As one person with a silly name but a good point wrote on Reddit:
There are many examples of military-themed calls to action and propagandizing in [Kotaku in Action, the main GamerGate subreddit] used to rally their users into a virtual “battle” against ideas that they don’t agree with. …
Today, take a step back and remember that very real people fought in very real battles and answered very real calls to action for their country. Today should serve as a sobering reminder of not only those who served, but also how ridiculous [GamerGaters] sound when they pretend that this is some type of war they are nobly fighting for when there are those who actually serve bravely for their country.
GamerGaters love comparing themselves to soldiers fighting a war against, well, whatever it is they think they’re fighting a war against.
Their propaganda, much of which is made for internal consumption, is drenched in military imagery — some taken from video games, some from real life and real military propaganda. The ridiculously bombastic GamerGate video I posted here yesterday mixed game imagery with documentary footage from World War II.
It’s true that most of this military-themed GamerGate propaganda is intended, at least in part, as a joke. (At least I hope this Starship Troopers reference is meant ironically.)
But it’s also clear that a lot of GamerGaters take these “joke” memes and over-the-top rhetoric a lot more seriously than it deserves to be taken. They really think they are fighting some sort of noble battle for truth and righteousness.
Today, GamerGaters, try to have a tiny bit of perspective. You’re not fighting Hitler. You’re not breaking down the Berlin Wall. You’re not fighting for the future of civilization against the barbarian hordes.
What you’re doing is harassing women (and some men) and sending emails designed to punish online publications for daring to criticize you. It’s not a war. Hell, it’s barely even activism. It’s closer to a collective tantrum — though unfortunately, one that’s doing real harm in the real world.
When you compare what you’re doing to real war, you’re insulting those who fought in real wars.
Below, I’ve pasted in a bunch of #GamerGate graphics, found on 8chan and on Twitter. There are countless more just like these out there. And they are an embarrassment.
Meantime, US Republican leaders have pretty much said they’re going to do an all-out campaign against net neutrality, which will actually affect gamers in a real, noticeable way and… crickets.
@Jay and Cassandrakitty–
Yes. That. All of that. How ethical is it to give good reviews for swag? Or, in some cases, reviews-as-paid-advertising? It seems to me that those questionable ethics should be examined, as journalistic hype can make or break a releasing game, and definitely pushes indies to the side in favor for the same old AAA franchise releases.
But people actually looking at the industry in a critically analytical way (you know, like the people asking that gaming be taken seriously as an art form wanted) is the actually issue because…uhhh…ethics!
As far as the posters go, the only sort of fighting this mess resembles to me is the kind that takes place on the battle field of the preschool playground.
Real-life paratrooper here. 27 jumps over the course of about two years back in the early 1990s. Easy peacetime service, but, hey, it’s still AIRBORNE, baby! Never play video games – have no interest. I like working out (Crossfit and hot yoga), reading military history and theology and philosophy as it relates to the concept of the Divine Feminine. What the F*** do I care about some video game? I suppose I could respect the technical aspects and artistry of a non-racist, non-misogynist video game if such exists(?). Just not my cup of tea right now. By the way, Misty, I add my well-wishes to those of the others’ as they’ve expressed them. You’re right about these gamer people probably not being able to make it through Basic.
Unless I’m more ignorant of internet history than I thought, ‘Social Justice Warrior’ was originally something coined to poke fun at people for whom attempts at social justice activism was less about actually achieving change and more about bludgeoning others in order to make themselves feel better: the corners of tumblr that produced memes like “Die cis scum!” or equate distaste for their personal fetishes with actual oppression (ie furries being ‘fursecuted’), or the attempt to rank privileges in a strict hierarchy that completely ignores intersectionality.
But of course, the antisocial injustice cowards latched onto that term and begin use it to dismiss anyone and everyone concerned about social justice. So when Anita Sarkeesian or Zoe Quinn speak out for social justice, even if the things they’re saying are completely reasonble and not-at-all radical, they’re lumped in as ‘SJWs’… The thing about language is it doesn’t just describe reality but also shapes our perceptions of it. And given the Gaters’ obvious lack of any understanding of nuance, irony, or subtlety if their memes and shit are anything to go by, the irony of “Social Justice Warrior” is completely lost on them. They’re so caught up in their own bullshit that they think Anita et al are actually Outsiders engaging in a war to…er… something? Take away their video game boobs or put gay characters in every game, or promote ‘non-games’ like Gone Home and Depression Quest in exchange for sexual favors, or whatever else they think is destroying their way of life over-inflated sense of self-importance.
In that light, their asinine militaristic rhetoric is just an extension of their terminal inability to think critically about any damned thing on the planet. If they can’t even be self-aware at a micro-level, they’re never going to manage it at the macro-level. It took Zoe Quinn actually pulling an ‘I’m in ur base’ moment for them to realize a public IRC channel was not the best way to plot their harassment.
Come now, Katz, you’re misleading the good folk by reporting only half the story. The Imperium is more than just a pack of space nazis; it’s also a pack of space bolsheviks. That’s fair & balanced evil. We extort, you survive.
Missy, I’m glad you’re back and doing better things. If I were still at the VA, I’d be happy to assist you however you needed – and happier still if you didn’t.
Thank you for your honesty. And I too am glad you’re home, and done, and doing better things.
Critical thinking is a waste of time and turns you into a heretical cultural Marxist anti-American communist mangina radical feminist university shill Illuminati homosexual. The moar u know.
@ MissyL – I’m glad you’re home and done and doing better things. 🙂
Also, wasn’t it Smedley Butler who claimed he was shilling for Standard Oil? I’d say your disillusionment puts you in very good company, indeed!
Thanks for the perspective but I can assure you that many of us are real veterans and know what it’s like to be in the real military…not to lessen your argument or anything.
Understanding nuance, irony, and subtelty requires one to think critically. In all reactionary groups that is unacceptable.
@Pavlov’s House, congratulations on your service! It’s rather sad, though, that Gamergate and company have clouded the perception of games so much that it’s difficult for people who aren’t into them to imagine that they can be non-violent and non… problematic (Portal, Braid, absolutely wonderful and imaginative stuff). I would like to think that while growing up I attempted to raise the profile of people who played games by both being a fan of them and being able to act like a normal human being, but the last three months have pretty much regressed the popular view of gamers entirely.
What did you do in 27 jumps in peacetime? Because I so want to imagine that it was coming down from the sky and delivering surprise cakes to people and so on.
Don’t some sjw claim to get PTSD from twitter? Yeah we really know who trivializes veterans help someone said something mean on twitter now i have shell shock!
@thepestoa, the fact that you think death and rape threats are trivial and couldn’t possibly cause psycological trauma? Go step on all the lego. And may you trip, have one smack into your forehead long enough that it leaves an indent, and everyone asks you about it all day long.
Hey moron troll, does it occur to you that plenty of what you like to dismiss as SJWs are veterans? Or that people other than veterans go through horrific experiences that leave them with PTSD that can be easily triggered? Do you even know what PTSD is, let alone how it works? You’re a fucking idiot.
Violent verbal and sexual harassment can’t cause PTSD? Huh, somebody should alert the American Psychiatric Association and the World Health Organisation, apparently Lord Assfax knows more than they do!
From what I understand, gawker and its affiliates have had /MORE/ page views per month since this shit-hurricane started.
If GG hates gawker so much why don’t they shut the hell up?
Oh. A troll who thinks PTSD only applies to veterans. How original.
Fuck off, troll.
I am not really big on the Veterans Day…or what is called Remembrance Day here (Canada). It’s getting a bit too jingoistic and romancing war for my liking. That is, heavy on the John Wayne and light on the John Lennon, IMO. One of the problems of being a pacifist, though I respect and understand why many wouldn’t agree with me on this point.
That said though, these GG’ers have no sense of shame or couth, do they? They’ll take anything and everything to use as an excuse to propagate their nonsense and delusions. It will be interesting to see what they do for Xmas, Thanksgiving (America) and even Black Friday. New Years may also be blast with these guys. And likely given the chance,.every religious and cultural holidays from around the world between then until their intolerance meters can’t take it anymore.
Of course, detractors would suggest my spiel is hyperbole. I would argue that too…until these GG’ers attempted to hijack V Day as noted for this article. So now I can’t put anything past them is this regards. So no, it’s not really.
I am probably preaching to the choir though. I’m just a bit shocked they would include a day that has absolutely nothing to do with their plight. /sigh
For most Remembrance Days, we usually watch The Americanization of Emily, and discuss the problematic nature of war. This year, I kept thinking about all the civilians… anyway, just wanted to let Manastu U know zir not the only one.
@thepestoa
What stupid ignorance. Do you even know what PTSD is?
@Puddleglum
Thank you, I appreciate that!
The other infuriating aspect of troll’s PTSD comment is that shell shock wasn’t recognised as a psychological condition in a number of wars. There are accounts of combatants being shot as a result of courts martial for refusing to go back onto the front lines – because they “deserted”, who (I know we say we shouldn’t diagnose from history, but I believe these to be special cases) were apparently suffering from severe PTSD.
Links if people are interested:
http://www.firstworldwar.com/atoz/shellshock.htm
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/world_war_one_executions.htm
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1526437/Pardoned-the-306-soldiers-shot-at-dawn-for-cowardice.html
Given the class background of men who were placed in infantry on the front lines, I would be unsurprised if the working classes were disproportionately represented in the court martial/executions statistics.
Missy, glad you’re home and doing better things. Thank you for coming home safe wo you could do better things.
Troll, remove head from sphincter, and then go ask an adult to explain what PTSD is. Then please return cranium to lower intestine and recommence starving your brain of oxygen. Thanks!