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Citizen Bobo,

All money spent on college. . .

So far

Elrikk


~SDC~

Patriot 2 just got shot down by the U.S. Senate, btw...my officials actually did something smart. Patriot 2 was ridiculous...

So, in theory, Patriot 1 will eventually phase out in 2005, under the 'Sunset' provisions. But, they did approve a measure allowing increased domestic surveillance on people who aren't necessarily suspected of being in any major terror cell. So, a mixed bag, but a good compromise if you ask me.

As for video games, the poster from Australia: I feel for you. Banning games is stupid. Not as bad as banning books, but still in the same arena. The German system seems fairly easy to get around, and the politicians can say whatever they want if it gets them votes, yes? But this is one instance in which I will tout America...in the few instances where companies have chosen to unilaterally ban a game or release a toned-down version (Nintendo with Mortal Kombat, for instance), they have suffered for it economically, and thusly, they don't do it anymore. The exception is Wal-Mart, but they're so successful they can do whatever the hell they want with their software section.

Why did this come up? GalCiv is so tame compared to other games. I mean, all it has is gas warfare, propaganda as a legitimate method of galactic domination, enslavement of native races, extermination of native species, imperialism on a heretofore unimagined scale, reward mechanisms for clearly evil actions, and battles in which billions upon billions of sentient beings are slaughtered. Come ON.

~SDC~

Bobo say that good Elrikk. Bobo smart. Him see through longtimes ago talk. Now Bobo ask question. Him have...friend...that eat all wampyre pretzels and drink all beer. What Bobo say to...friend...to get friend not in trouble. This also happen longtime past. Yesterday.
Bobo make joke.

Oh...and just to complain about Wal-Mart (which doesn't have GalCiv, at least around here), they sell games like 'Humvee Assault' or games about the recently concluded Second Gulf War, which have phrases like 'The Axis of Evil Must Be Destroyed!!!!' or 'Hunt Terrorists...at any cost!' on their boxes. One could say these games are potentially more politically damaging than a stupid game like Postal 2, which will just teach you that Gary Coleman really does suck.

~SDC~

Bobo sad no Patriot2. Him like original Patriot. Much fighting and guns. Bobo not understand why senate not allow Mel Gibson make second movie. Maybe it not classic like new Jamie Kennedy movie, but all shooting and dying happen pastimes so not know why Senate do that.
Sometime Bobo wish him more smart so him figure out these things.

As an American whose spent some time in Germany --

I'd say it's their culture, they should be free to legislate how they see fit.

Sure, they have some history to deal with and some hang ups with vioence.... on the other hand they aren't nearly as prude as Americans are when it comes to sex... all things being equal I'd rather have people legislate against violence then the American puritan way.

Citizen Bobo,

Acually, Bobo Holmes might have out thought himself a bit this time. The story happened literally the way I told it and happened about 1972.

Bobo will find that sometimes better not to look through things, but just at them.

As for the mystery of the disappearing beer and pretzels I suspect that if Bobo think really, really hard he figure it out.

Hint: Follow the trail of salty crumbs. and when you begin to smell the scent of beer burps you'll be very, very close.

It's elementary my Dear Bobo.


Dr. Elrikk Watson


~SDC~

I'd say people like Ulla Schmidt shouldn't be allowed to do politics in the first place... then: problem solved. What's needed is people with brains and the ability to think in different ways. 4D-thinking is the thing a politician should be able to do.

Regarding banning, we should have politicians who arent' afraid to take some serious descisions:

98% of all serial killers eat bread! Let's ban bread!

~SDC~

vernmeister2u : I agree to your version of things. Although I'm one of those that are sceptical to some of the points in C&C Generals. Maybe it's strange since I've played Doom, Quake etc etc, bunch of firstpersonshooters(fps) over the years with blood. I just thought the theme was a little bad in regards to the quite dangerous situation with west versus middle-east. Some fun in it of course with the middle-east faction being VERY stereotypical.. Anyways, I can't sort of justify my feeling of this game, since I've said OK to tenths of other bloody and violent games. I just thought it's gamecontent was quite inappropriate as of today.

@Moonmood
Censorship IS censorship in any case. I don't think it's right - never. A government who does it, doesn't believe that the people are wise enough to distinguesh (sp?) between reality and game/novel/whatever. What's a democrazy worth it if the government doesn't trust in the people of it's country...?

The argument, that people would kill other people because of games or books is completely nuts. Serial killers etc. kill other people because they can't see another way. This isn't the fault of parents, at least not alone. The only thing parents can do, is trying to teach a child that he or she believes in him- or herself and that, whatever happens, 'everything's gonna be alright'. If you believe in yourself, it's not nescessary to kill someone to achieve your goals... If you understand, that everything will be alright, you don't have to give up.

But in the end it's YOUR descision, if you WANT to believe in yourself or if you just want to give yourself up, by killing somebody. Therefore the child IS responsible for what he or she does (espescially if he or she isn't a child anymore).

just my 2 cents

~SDC~

Quellar,

It's a minor point, but in the case of the US, we're not a "democracy". We are a Representative Republic. As a friend of mine says, a true Democracy is "mob rule".

One question, and I'm not being mean, or attacking you or whatever, just curious. You don't believe in any censorship, not even say child pornography, or snuff films or stuff like that? I believe to some degree of communities having a right to establish "community standards", which starts with the people, not the government. This is probably something we would disagree on, though it's not really anything I'm interested in arguing about at any length.

I have to disagree with how trivially you describe the role of parents, although you "break it down" to two of the most important principles which parents should relate to their children. It may be how I interpreted what you said, and perhaps you didn't mean that way.

I'm by far not a bleeding heart, but I recognize just how messed up some parents are, and the subsequent impact this tends to have on the offspring. Not always, but quite freguently. Parents TEND to have the MOST significant impact on how a child is socialized, develops a sense of "morality", develops self-esteem, etc. This impact is most deeply rooted in the very early years of the child, a time when many parents don't give their kids credit for picking up on behavior in the home and the world around them. For instance, there is a startling frequency in abused children later becoming abusers themselves. Or just as bad, women who seek abusive relationships because of the way they socialized by their parents in abusive homes. ( oh man, I'm close to sounding like a liberal ) In a perfect world, all people would rise above this, but we know that's not the case.

I agree with your last sentence to a large degree, but I personally differeniate that in the totality of the circumstances, some younger children, not late teens or adults, go out and do some really screwed up things directly because of how they were raised (or in how the parents just neglect their responsibilities). Some kids make THEIR own decision based on limited experience, limited examples and limited exposure to alternatives (all of which directly relate to decisions made by parents). In some areas of the US, children that grow up in housing projects (for lack of a more PC term), almost literally spend all of the first 12-13 years of life right in those projects. Many projects have their elementary schools built right in the neighborhood, so they don't even get removed from that environment when they are going to school. I attribute these kids being "stuck" in this environment alot to the parents for either having the lack of ability, or choosing not to improve their lot in life. Mind you, I'm not condeming all folks who grow up in poor housing areas. I've met many fine people in the projects. And there are certainly some people who do make their way out of "ghetto". But there is certainly an undeniable element of what parents and the "community" in those areas tolerate in the conduct of people, including their own children. Apathy abounds. This is perhaps a case against my idea of "community standards".

~SDC~