Black Ops Swastika Emblems Will Earn Xbox Live Ban

[Sikachu]

Presumably this **** will be banning the use of the Croatian checkerboard emblem (on their flag, look it up) as it was the banner under which the Cetniki marched and operated concentration camps in conjunction with the Germans during World War 2. And also the Union Flag, (British flag you uneducated morons who just went 'whu?') for being the flag under which concentration camps were invented and hundreds of thousands of colonials were killed. Or the American flag, under which all but wiped out the native inhabitants of the country it invaded and spread in, and has since relentlessly killed thousands of people around the world every year. Americans sure do love freedom of speech. You're free to say whatever they want you to say.

 

[JDKJ]

I have to admit first thing that comes to my mind when someone mentions word "swastika" are Nazis and then Buddhist symbol. However I don't find it offensive . Would it be wrong of me if I said ppl should just move on? Yes you should forgive but not forget, but seriously does dwelling on it help anyone?

Problem with that is it's still too soon. This kind of thing really needs to wait until everyone involved is dead. Otherwise you have the fun of either a holocaust survivor who had his wife gassed and his kids dissected alive, or a guard who was forced to herd thousands to their deaths being told by some teenager raised in a period of peace to 'get over it'. There are just some people who will never find Nazi stuff funny and frankly I think we owe it to them to respect that. It's rather presumptuous of us to think we have the right to declare what they can and can't be offended by.

Well I don't find Nazi stuff funny, in fact I can't even tell you how much I'm disgusted by it. I have nothing but respect for the victims of holocaust, but I don't like ppl being hyper-sensitive about certain topics. However, I don't see banning people with swastika in their emblems as a bad thing, cause let's face it most of them are trying to promote Nazism in some way, or are just seeking attention or trying to provoke a reaction. Others will just have to adapt and find symbol that isn't used by a fucked up ideology.

But if all you've banned is the swastika, then for those who still want to use a symbol associated with the Nazis and the Jewish Holocaust, the choices are endless and readily at hand. The Nazis are notorious for their use of numerous graphic symbols. For example, the SS sig runes. Or the SS death's head. Or the Iron Cross.

If you're trying to eradicate all sexually transmitted diseases, there's no reason to stop once you've eradicated gonorrhea and pat yourself on the back as if your work is done. There's still candidiasis, chlamydia, herpes, HIV, syphilis, etc., etc., etc., etc.

 

[The Cake Is Annoying]

"It's not political correctness, it's fundamental respect," Toulouse adds. "If you think the swastika symbol should be re-evaluated by societies all over the Earth, I think that's great. Your Xbox Live profile or in game logo, which doesn't have the context to explain your goal, is not the right place to do that."

The man's absolutely right. A logo needs to immediately to the heart and soul what something means. Stick up one of the most recognisable and defining political symbols of the last century in BlackOps and it says "I like games with guns in them. Also NAZIs el-oh-el!!!1".

If enjoyers-of-games want to be taken seriously, trying to score pseudo-intelluctual points by bullshitting a nuanced understanding of an ancient symbol based off what they gathered from that-one-time-I-scanned-through-the-Buddhism-page-on-Wikipedia article is Not Helping (capital N capital H).

The idea that serious Buddhists play games that turn a battlefields into a competitive is something I have both a hard time and a hilarious time trying to get my head around as it is...

 

[The Cake Is Annoying]

The points on the Nazi swastika face right. The points on the religious kind, face left. So what if I flipped it?

I'm sure he'll think you're a Nazi-fanboy standing in the mirror and just ban the mirror. Great job Dragonslayer32. Now Alice is stuck in there D:<

 

[CoL0sS]

But if all you've banned is the swastika, then for those who still want to use a symbol associated with the Nazis and the Jewish Holocaust, the choices are endless and readily at hand. The Nazis are notorious for their use of numerous graphic symbols. For example, the SS sig runes. Or the SS death's head. Or the Iron Cross.

If you're trying to eradicate all sexually transmitted diseases, there's no reason to stop once you've eradicated gonorrhea and pat yourself on the back as if your work is done. There's still candidiasis, chlamydia, herpes, HIV, syphilis, etc., etc., etc., etc.

Oh yeah, possibilities are endless, but since swastika is widely notorious and tabooed it isn't a surprise that it was banned. Since most of the people aren't familiar with other symbols, they readily overlook something that might be equally offensive. But yeah, now that you mention it seems kinda meaningless, talking about this when there are much greater issues to tackle. But we'll have to deal with them one step at a time.

 

[Viik]

Maybe this kind of controversy was the only reason why emblem editor was added in game at first place. Just to get more attention two weeks after game sales started.
Cheap PR as always, didn't expected anything different from activision anyway.

 

[JDKJ]

But if all you've banned is the swastika, then for those who still want to use a symbol associated with the Nazis and the Jewish Holocaust, the choices are endless and readily at hand. The Nazis are notorious for their use of numerous graphic symbols. For example, the SS sig runes. Or the SS death's head. Or the Iron Cross.

If you're trying to eradicate all sexually transmitted diseases, there's no reason to stop once you've eradicated gonorrhea and pat yourself on the back as if your work is done. There's still candidiasis, chlamydia, herpes, HIV, syphilis, etc., etc., etc., etc.

Oh yeah, possibilities are endless, but since swastika is widely notorious and tabooed it isn't a surprise that it was banned. Since most of the people aren't familiar with other symbols, they readily overlook something that might be equally offensive. But yeah, now that you mention it seems kinda meaningless, talking about this when there are much greater issues to tackle. But we'll have to deal with them one step at a time.

If you aren't familiar with either the sig runes or the death's head as insignia of the Nazi SS and aren't a Kalahari Bushman whose never ventured beyond the limiting confines of the Okavango Delta, then you really need some educational fixin'.

 

[JDKJ]

"It's not political correctness, it's fundamental respect," Toulouse adds. "If you think the swastika symbol should be re-evaluated by societies all over the Earth, I think that's great. Your Xbox Live profile or in game logo, which doesn't have the context to explain your goal, is not the right place to do that."

The man's absolutely right. A logo needs to immediately to the heart and soul what something means. Stick up one of the most recognisable and defining political symbols of the last century in BlackOps and it says "I like games with guns in them. Also NAZIs el-oh-el!!!1".

If enjoyers-of-games want to be taken seriously, trying to score pseudo-intelluctual points by bullshitting a nuanced understanding of an ancient symbol based off what they gathered from that-one-time-I-scanned-through-the-Buddhism-page-on-Wikipedia article is Not Helping (capital N capital H).

The idea that serious Buddhists play games that turn a battlefields into a competitive is something I have both a hard time and a hilarious time trying to get my head around as it is...

Try to get your head around this:

http://kotaku.com/5363596/buddhist-monk-games-satiate-my-desire-for-aggression

 

[CoL0sS]

If you aren't familiar with either the sig runes or the death's head as insignia of the Nazi SS and aren't a Kalahari Bushman whose never ventured beyond the confines of the Okavango Delta, then you really need some educational fixin'.

That's the whole irony of it. What makes swastika worse that all those symbols? Sadly, ignorance has been used as an excuse for far worse things than this.

 

[JoshGod]

I used to draw swatstika's on my hand as there was a German in our close, its fun, grow up, besides isn't the online full of hugely offensive people anyway? I don't see you fixing that. And what's wrong with freedom, furthermore the last treyarch cod game had nazi's in it. I think a few bitches have been complaining.

 

[le picklez]

Racism and Nazi ideology is what the symbol represents now. I think this is perfectly reasonable.

Xbox live users =/= Nazi's.

That is the nicest thing anyone has ever said about our Xbox LIVE community. I'm touched

Somehow I believe that... xD

 

[Ubermetalhed]

(some conservative estimates place the number of African Holocaust victims in excess of 12 million)

You should see the combined totals for Stalin...

Of course Genghis Khan still holds the the record as all time mass murdering fuck.

And may I add the death tolls due to Mao Zedong, now those are catastrophic.

The Holocaust differs to most as it was a systematic extermination, it became a quasi-industrial process to a degree. Stalin and Maos death tolls are mostly as a result of policy decisions.

This was brought up in another thread but if we are going to be serious about these things then, anything related to any country or group which has caused millions of deaths/atrocities should also be banned.

Nazi emblems are only banned because people only know the general points of its history at best. Indeed most people see the Soviet Union's emblem as 'cool' and positive ala Red Alert's stylings yet no nothing of it's tumultuous history. It is also true that most countries have a pretty dark past and even my own GB is guilty of many deaths.

So perhaps they should consult the history books and ban every country ever. As we're all guilty of something or other. That includes you Switzerland!

 

[JDKJ]

(some conservative estimates place the number of African Holocaust victims in excess of 12 million)

You should see the combined totals for Stalin...

Of course Genghis Khan still holds the the record as all time mass murdering fuck.

And may I add the death tolls due to Mao Zedong, now those are catastrophic.

The Holocaust differs to most as it was a systematic extermination, it became a quasi-industrial process to a degree. Stalin and Maos death tolls are mostly as a result of policy decisions.

This was brought up in another thread but if we are going to be serious about these things then, anything related to any country or group which has caused millions of deaths/atrocities should also be banned.

Nazi emblems are only banned because people only know the general points of its history at best. Indeed most people see the Soviet Union's emblem as 'cool' and positive ala Red Alert's stylings yet no nothing of it's tumultuous history. It is also true that most countries have a pretty dark past and even my own GB is guilty of many deaths.

So perhaps they should consult the history books and ban every country ever. As we're all guilty of something or other. That includes you Switzerland!

A quasi-industrial process? More like a well-oiled General Motors automobile assembly line. If the Nazis had put half the planning, engineering, logistical, plant and human resources into fighting the War that they put into the Final Solution, they might well have won the War.

Damn skippy we should include Switzerland! That's were all the Nazi war spoils went. To their banks. Neutral my ass.

 

[badmunky64]

Their used to be swastikas in my town's very old church. I understand that it had to be removed during such a sensitive time, but now? In a video game? Hasn't enough time past that seeing it doesn't bring up personal memories or even memories of stories from their parents experience?

 

[Ubermetalhed]

(some conservative estimates place the number of African Holocaust victims in excess of 12 million)

You should see the combined totals for Stalin...

Of course Genghis Khan still holds the the record as all time mass murdering fuck.

And may I add the death tolls due to Mao Zedong, now those are catastrophic.

The Holocaust differs to most as it was a systematic extermination, it became a quasi-industrial process to a degree. Stalin and Maos death tolls are mostly as a result of policy decisions.

This was brought up in another thread but if we are going to be serious about these things then, anything related to any country or group which has caused millions of deaths/atrocities should also be banned.

Nazi emblems are only banned because people only know the general points of its history at best. Indeed most people see the Soviet Union's emblem as 'cool' and positive ala Red Alert's stylings yet no nothing of it's tumultuous history. It is also true that most countries have a pretty dark past and even my own GB is guilty of many deaths.

So perhaps they should consult the history books and ban every country ever. As we're all guilty of something or other. That includes you Switzerland!

A quasi-industrial process? More like a well-oiled General Motors automobile assembly line. If the Nazis had put half the planning, engineering, logistical, plant and human resources into fighting the War that they put into the Final Solution, they might well have won the War.

Damn skippy we should include Switzerland! That's were all the Nazi war spoils went. To their banks. Neutral my ass.

I compelely agree if the Nazis had implemented their 'total war' policy alot earlier and not spent resources on genocide among other factors, they may have well won the war.

And indeed the Swiss took alot of the spoils aswell as the fact they sold lots of raw materials and resources to the Nazis. Same goes for Sweden, who benfited greatly from the war.

 

[JDKJ]

(some conservative estimates place the number of African Holocaust victims in excess of 12 million)

You should see the combined totals for Stalin...

Of course Genghis Khan still holds the the record as all time mass murdering fuck.

And may I add the death tolls due to Mao Zedong, now those are catastrophic.

The Holocaust differs to most as it was a systematic extermination, it became a quasi-industrial process to a degree. Stalin and Maos death tolls are mostly as a result of policy decisions.

This was brought up in another thread but if we are going to be serious about these things then, anything related to any country or group which has caused millions of deaths/atrocities should also be banned.

Nazi emblems are only banned because people only know the general points of its history at best. Indeed most people see the Soviet Union's emblem as 'cool' and positive ala Red Alert's stylings yet no nothing of it's tumultuous history. It is also true that most countries have a pretty dark past and even my own GB is guilty of many deaths.

So perhaps they should consult the history books and ban every country ever. As we're all guilty of something or other. That includes you Switzerland!

A quasi-industrial process? More like a well-oiled General Motors automobile assembly line. If the Nazis had put half the planning, engineering, logistical, plant and human resources into fighting the War that they put into the Final Solution, they might well have won the War.

Damn skippy we should include Switzerland! That's were all the Nazi war spoils went. To their banks. Neutral my ass.

I compelely agree if the Nazis had implemented their 'total war' policy alot earlier and not spent resources on genocide among other factors, they may have well won the war.

And indeed the Swiss took alot of the spoils aswell as the fact they sold lots of raw materials and resources to the Nazis. Same goes for Sweden, who benfited greatly from the war.

Additionally, many Americans of German descent organized themselves into little mini-chapters of the Nazi Party and supported the Nazi war effort, both philosophically and financially -- including the American aviator Charles Lindbergh (who is thought to be a "hero" by many of his countrymen).

If we really want to start pointing fingers of blame, we'll need a helluva lot of fingers.

 

[Ubermetalhed]

(some conservative estimates place the number of African Holocaust victims in excess of 12 million)

You should see the combined totals for Stalin...

Of course Genghis Khan still holds the the record as all time mass murdering fuck.

And may I add the death tolls due to Mao Zedong, now those are catastrophic.

The Holocaust differs to most as it was a systematic extermination, it became a quasi-industrial process to a degree. Stalin and Maos death tolls are mostly as a result of policy decisions.

This was brought up in another thread but if we are going to be serious about these things then, anything related to any country or group which has caused millions of deaths/atrocities should also be banned.

Nazi emblems are only banned because people only know the general points of its history at best. Indeed most people see the Soviet Union's emblem as 'cool' and positive ala Red Alert's stylings yet no nothing of it's tumultuous history. It is also true that most countries have a pretty dark past and even my own GB is guilty of many deaths.

So perhaps they should consult the history books and ban every country ever. As we're all guilty of something or other. That includes you Switzerland!

A quasi-industrial process? More like a well-oiled General Motors automobile assembly line. If the Nazis had put half the planning, engineering, logistical, plant and human resources into fighting the War that they put into the Final Solution, they might well have won the War.

Damn skippy we should include Switzerland! That's were all the Nazi war spoils went. To their banks. Neutral my ass.

I compelely agree if the Nazis had implemented their 'total war' policy alot earlier and not spent resources on genocide among other factors, they may have well won the war.

And indeed the Swiss took alot of the spoils aswell as the fact they sold lots of raw materials and resources to the Nazis. Same goes for Sweden, who benfited greatly from the war.

Additionally, many Americans of German descent organized themselves into little mini-chapters of the Nazi Party and supported the Nazi war effort, both philosophically and financially -- including the American aviator Charles Lindbergh (who is thought to be a "hero" by many of his countrymen).

If we really want to start pointing fingers of blame, we'll need a helluva lot of fingers.

Indeed. I like the fact you have a good knowledge of history, I think its very rare on these forums or in fact the internet.

 

[KiKiweaky]

really? I would say thee most notorious, I mean how many people were killed due to Alexander and his army? what about Stalin?

Please explain how either of those events downplays the murder of millions.
And please don't try to say "they killed more", because that changes absolutely nothing.

You miss the point, there are other genocides that are associated to things (like the hammer and sickle) which are seen as "accpatable" by mordern sociality in most countries but yet when one mentions (or shows) the Swastika within sociality, you will be branded with a negative stigma.

Ever heard the phrase history is written by the victor? Well guess who was on the losing side in world war 2?

OT: I find it funny that people are getting worked up about not being allowed to use swastika's. I mean why do you want to use one? Whats the point?

 

[dragonslayer32]

The points on the Nazi swastika face right. The points on the religious kind, face left. So what if I flipped it?

I'm sure he'll think you're a Nazi-fanboy standing in the mirror and just ban the mirror. Great job Dragonslayer32. Now Alice is stuck in there D:<

Thanks, you made me laugh whilst eating cerial, I now have milk and lucky charms coming out of my nose...