This week’s topic of broadcasting war is something I take particular interest in. For as long as I can remember I have always been anti-war and anti-violence. However I am not immune to the tactics used by the media on the public to get your blood boiling in some way. The news in particular do have a significantly stand point of military affairs and they make their opinions known whenever they get the chance.
The reading, War as Game, uncovers that none physical militaristic tactics, used by news sources and the government to reference games in actual combat. I could not agree more, for more than one particular reason.
1. Games as we discussed in class, has a positive correlation associated with them. They have a rewarding system that encourage you to become more strategic in order for you to win, which is rewarding. The positive outcomes from winning the game is the same we witnessed in the video of the soldiers opening fire in the Middle East. They seemed to be enjoying themselves as if they we were winning a game.
2. Violence is more tolerated thanks to modern gaming and it’s abundance in the media. For myself I don’t enjoy witnessing violence because I am empathetic, not sympathetic, empathetic. I feel the pain, physically, mentally, and emotionally. I connect myself to the idea that we are apart of the same story and same struggle, and same family tree. I can not stand by and passively watch another being, animal and human alike be tortured, murdered, abused, whether verbal, physical, or mental/emotional. I don’t like viewing acts of violence because I can not handle it. However my 8 year old brother will kill zombies, humans, deer, geese, and another creature that allows him to pull a trigger on a video game. I can’t force people to stop viewing violence, because it occurs, that’s the world we live in, however, I refuse to add wood to the fire, and gasoline, and ammunition.
3. The lack of coverage to our end. We know little or nothing much about overseas war and the media does little to tell us about it. For all we know the military could have Americans playing a version of a War Game, like the film from 1983. How are you sure your strategies aren’t used as strategies for the military. Plus we never know who the enemy seems to be or why this war is happening. Does the lack of information being delivered to us not raise suspicion for any of you, like it does me. Or do you have faith that your government is taking these precautions to protect you? I don’t believe that shit for one second.
I foresee the day of non-combat violence however, that day is already here. It’s the mass role of not being aware, not seeing, physically seeing the target, othering the people, and deeming them the enemy. The level of physiological warfare is something used way long before a shot is ever fired and it continues to thrive today. Just look at the trailer for Olympus has fallen again.