Black Ops Swastika Emblems Will Earn Xbox Live Ban

[Nautical Honors Society]

Am not a big fan of the "Jewish extermination" but the swastika should not be banned, even if drawing attention to the event was precisely the intention of the user. Despite what the MS guy says, it is political correctness.

Even though Microsoft are being massive dickheads here, it's not a surprise that they did this.

The swastika is an image that is banned in certain countries (e.g. Germany). People from Germany play the same online game that everyone else does, so they have to moderate their emblems to exclude banned images.

I could be wrong, but I'm willing to bet that it's the public (emphasis on "public") display of the swastika that's banned in Germany. And I would assume that its display in an online game doesn't qualify as a public display (unless you're monitoring your game play on a gigantic Jumbotron screen set up outdoors for all to see).

Nazism is illegal in Germany. This would be instantly banned in Germany and without argument.

Scroll up and read the statute which has been provided verbatim. You can easily see, I hope, where it is only the public (emphasis on "public") display of certain symbols that are prohibited by German law. If I want to hang a swastika on my apartment wall in Germany where no one but I can see it, then that's not a public display and therefore isn't prohibited by German law.

Yes but at the same time if you were organizing groups of Nazi sympathizers in your home to discuss the best ways to hate over tea and crumpets that would be illegal by German law. Nazi's are not allowed to organize in Germany. Even in private.

No one's been discussing organizing a modern-day chapter of the Hitler Youth in Germany. We're discussing the ability to use a swastika as a user-created insignia in an online game in Germany and whether that runs afoul of German law. And, from my reading and understanding of the relevant law (and, I would argue, any reasonable construction thereof) it appears that to do so doesn't run afoul of the law.

I know, I was looking over this little back and forth and my original statement was actually meant to support your argument.

So we are kind of in agreement.

 

[AceAngel]

Soooo, it's OK for a whole slew of other symbols (including ones of Phalli) in my face, but something which in terms of military regiment in war was used extensively is not?

Double Standard much? If you're going to ban the Dipped Cross, please clean up the other filth as well.

If you see an inappropriate emblem, report it. If enough people report it someone will look at it. If it is in fact inappropriate, the guy will get banned.

This is what bothers me, the guys already took an initiative to take out something that might offend people. Good job I say, but why stop there? Don't get me wrong, it's not like they're not going to do anything about the KKK emblem if it ever comes up, but it seems like only the most popular 'infamous' emblems are being picked on.

Don't know if I'm making much sense...

 

[Tdc2182]

I cannot tell you how glad this makes me.

Having a thick skin is one thing, but switching to some kids Swastika AK47 when I am out of ammo really makes me facepalm.

Kudos to you Blops.

 

[Tdc2182]

So a horse having his dick cut off with a chainsaw is ok but a swastika is banned.


Power tripping bastards.

Yes. Because A horse chopping off its own dick isn't exactly offensive to an entire race of people.

Use your head.

 

[RedDeadFred]

Anyone complaining about this is just ridiculous. Grow up! it's a symbol that greatly offends some people. Show some respect. You wouldn't make the middle finger your symbol because it would be considered offensive even though it means nothing to some other cultures.

 

[Wow they sure are generous with the usernames]

Stupid Nazis. Why did you have to ruin the swastika for everyone else?

They didn't. The people that refuse to see it as anything other than a Nazi symbol ruin it for everyone else.

you must be an insensative bastard

I'm insensitive because I don't see the Swastika as a purely Nazi symbol, and instead see it as an ancient symbol with many different meanings and origins?

I guess the citizens of Samara in 4000BC were also insensitive for using it on their pottery?

The countless Asian countries with many varied religions are insensitive for using under their own meanings?

And, as I already pointed out, the Finnish Air Force are insensitive because they still use it on their flag.

Right.

Because most people are going to assosiate it with that, right? Lets be honest here, almost all people primaraly associate the schwasticka with Nazi-ism, genocide and what not. Also aside from the finish flag (which I highly doubt most people are aware of, myself included) the symbol Samaraians (who totally knew about the Nazi's) and asian relgions use is not the same symbol, therefor banning the schwasticka is perfectly reasonable, as it isnt the same symbol as the one Bhuddism uses.

The ones in Asia are the exact same thing. The Nazi one was rotated 45 whole degrees. That's where the problem is. Rotated 45 degrees, it's an offensive symbol. But do you think the enforcers of this ban will think about that? No, they won't. It won't matter if you're a neo Nazi or a Finnish Air Force member showing your pride. You're banned, and that's wrong.

The Buddhist swastika is backwards, yes, but the Hindu one is simply a Swastika that isn't rotated.

If they want to do things right, ban the ones at a 45 degree angle, and leave the rest alone. Or better yet, make people read what the thing stands before they rage about something they don't understand.

That doesn't change the fact that if you show the Hindu swastika to someone in a western nation, they'll immediately associate it with Nazis. You can explain all you want what it really means, but the first impression isn't changeable.

 

[JDKJ]

It can also be argued that the Earth is flat. But it's nevertheless a silly argument to make.

Imagine I run a magazine in Germany. Every month I have a "Letters to the Editor" section, where people can submit letters. I also decide to allow people to submit an image to accompany their letter. Their profile picture, as it were. Now imagine someone sent one of a swastika. I would either A. Not run the image or B. Get in serious legal trouble with the law for distributing the swastika.

In your hypothetical, the distribution described isn't exactly comparable to the case of an online multi-player game. In the case of the latter, there is, at best, republication. There is no distribution. The two are not necessarily the same. Moreover, to the extent that there is republication, that republication, unlike the case of your magazine hypothetical, isn't really a "public" republication (unless, again, it's up on some Jumbotron screen out in the public square). The more obvious basis for holding the magazine publisher liable isn't "distribution." It's "public display" (i.e., as displayed in the pages of a publicly distributed magazine). I fear you may be holding an apple in one hand and an orange in the other.

 

[Aethren]

If they're stupid enough to have a swastika on their emblems, they're clearly too young to be playing the M-rated game anyway. Ban them for life, the internet would be better off.

 

[Baby Eater]

OP: I think he should also ban everyone who's emblem says "FAIL", AKA 97% of the player base.

That's actually a premade emblem sadly.

OT:Just Xbox? So I have to suffer through all the nazi unicorns with a chainsaw penis (Yes, I actually saw that) because I'm on PS3? Dammit.

 

[Super Toast]

It's already been done.

 

[Tdc2182]

Stupid Nazis. Why did you have to ruin the swastika for everyone else?

They didn't. The people that refuse to see it as anything other than a Nazi symbol ruin it for everyone else.

you must be an insensative bastard

I'm insensitive because I don't see the Swastika as a purely Nazi symbol, and instead see it as an ancient symbol with many different meanings and origins?

I wouldn't argue that you are insensitive, more so along the lines of moronic. You don't walk around flipping people off because in another country or time period it means something different.

The symbol was taken by a certain power and is now commonly associated with Murder, Torture, and outright Genocide. You aren't cool or educated if you know about different cultures that use the same symbol, it doesn't make you look informed.

The Swastika is arguably the most evil symbol in Earths history, or at least the most well infamous.

 

[-Samurai-]

That doesn't change the fact that if you show the Hindu swastika to someone in a western nation, they'll immediately associate it with Nazis. You can explain all you want what it really means, but the first impression isn't changeable.

Which is an entirely different problem; The ignorance of the symbol itself.

Banning the thing is taking the easy way out.
"Hey, a bunch of people ignorant of what this thing here means are offended by it. Lets remove it! Now, no-one will have to learn about it!"

But I guess that doesn't really have much to do with the topic...[small]*grumbles off somewhere*[/small]

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

Don't get me wrong, it's not like they're not going to do anything about the KKK emblem if it ever comes up, but it seems like only the most popular 'infamous' emblems are being picked on.

I'd like to see what they'd do if they started getting a lot of reports sent in about confederate battle flags.

 

[Exort]

...but, wait, hold on a second, the Nazi swastika is different from a Buddhist swastika

For one thing, a buddhist version isn't set diagonally, and it's also reversed in comparison to the Nazi version.

Spoiler: Nazi swastika

Spoiler: Buddhist swastika

See? the two are actually quite different symbols!

...I hope I won't get banned for posting a swastika on the forums considering the context... XD

The buddhist Swastika is also an old Chinese letter/symbol. It means the number 10,000.

 

[eljawa]

http://www.pustakalaya.org/wiki/images/279/27901.png

Its a pity, Its a lovely symbol in its other contexts

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

Th buddhist Swastika is also a Chinese symbol. It means the number 10,000.

That means it's-

nevermind, I hate that meme.

 

[Tdc2182]

That doesn't change the fact that if you show the Hindu swastika to someone in a western nation, they'll immediately associate it with Nazis. You can explain all you want what it really means, but the first impression isn't changeable.

Which is an entirely different problem; The ignorance of the symbol itself.

Banning the thing is taking the easy way out.
"Hey, a bunch of people ignorant of what this thing here means are offended by it. Lets remove it! Now, no-one will have to learn about it!"

But I guess that doesn't really have much to do with the topic...[small]*grumbles off somewhere*[/small]

Yet again, the symbol is now commonly associated with murder, torture, and antisemitism.

It is arguably the most infamous symbol on the earth, and the little twelve year olds that put it on their emblems aren't doing it to show Peace and Prosperity.

Their game, they don't have to deal with morons.

 

[Exort]

To be fair, the Nazis only committed one of the most heinous crimes in recorded human history.
That's probably going to be its default/commonly known context from now until doomsday.

The ban isn't unreasonable at all, and most people who use it will be doing so to troll.
Unless you think most 12-24 year olds actually understand the history and nature of the symbol prior to WW2.
Yeah...not fucking likely.

In other culture it is used for other meaning, and people borned in those culture should know what it stand for.


Edit: Ok maybe not the 45 degree version. Nevermind

 

[Mrsoupcup]

Well can't say I disagree with him, but you can bet your ass someone will try to sue him for freedom of speach. Anyway I prefer the animal sex logos, those tend to get to people in very strange ways XD