Illegal Immigrant Smuggling Game Under Fire for Insensitivity
- Thread starter Tom Goldman
- Start date
You know when you see something you wanted your whole life, but didn't know it until the precise moment you saw it. This is one of those moments.
I really, really, really hope they don't cave.
This is an interesting idea and a really compelling parody. The developers need to simply say that they agree that this is a serious issue and respond that what they're doing is as serious as any other parody (just because something is funny doesn't mean it isn't serious). The whole argument against the game centers on the fact that this is a serious topic and games can't be serious and giving in just perpetuates that nonsense.
This is an interesting idea and a really compelling parody. The developers need to simply say that they agree that this is a serious issue and respond that what they're doing is as serious as any other parody (just because something is funny doesn't mean it isn't serious). The whole argument against the game centers on the fact that this is a serious topic and games can't be serious and giving in just perpetuates that nonsense.
Actually I think both immigration and illegal immigration need to be examined, and not in the sense of "we need to be nicer to people and let them into the country", quite the opposite in fact. We need to start getting more hard core about this kind of thing, both in terms of treating illegals far more harshly (perhaps up to the point of execution), and also being able to remove citizenship from people who immigrate legally or become citizens yet who do not adapt to the country.
Now before someone freaks out (I know there are a lot of left wingers here) let me be painfully blunt, this issue has always bugged me, but I've been becoming increasingly angrier over the last few years. Truthfully, the things that are upsetting me the most have absolutly nothing to do with the "big" issues of things like jobs and illegal workers doing them. But things like:
http://www.freelancenews.com/news/249033-high-schools-ban-of-american-flags-has-students-outraged
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/8526614/detail.html
http://majorityrights.com/index.php/weblog/comments/american_flag_banned_in_an_american_school/
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/bikers-rally-to-ride-with-boy-after-school-banned-american-flag/
This is just the tip if the iceberg, not the best sources but it was a quick search over a period of like 30 seconds. I put some links about this kind of thing up in another post where someone was talking about Canada having issue with school prayer as well. If you dig you'll find lots of coverage on these incidents, and more similar incidents, from all kinds of news sources both mainstream and otherwise.
The point here being that the immigration problem is so out of control, and our standards are so low, that we are having kids pressured to not wear the American flag in school, fly it from bikes, and similar things. There have also been people fired from their jobs (or threatened with firing) for doing similar things, or having patriotic bumper stickers or flags on their car. I couldn't find the link but there was one guy who was fired for having an "I support our troops" sticker ribbon on his car which was "offensive" to Muslim co-workers.
The point is that when people immigrate they become Americans, I don't care if it's a hispanic holiday, but your supposed to be an American and the depiction of the flag of your OWN COUNTRY should not be an issue. Whether the person is a dual citizen or a straight immigrant who gave up citizenship, if there is an issue with this they don't belong here, and when there are issues with potential violence over the American flag being displayed in America fueling this, that's an issue of extreme proportions that requires some rather extreme responses.
If your in the US as a citizen, then you should be an American first, and not be acting as a citizen of another country who is merely drawing benefits. What's more we should not be kowtowing to, or encouraging this kind of behavior. I can understand not being discriminatory, but not flying an American flag for fear of offending someone to whom that should be their flag too is an issue. When it comes to guest workers/illegals, it's even worse because those people shouldn't even be a factor for this kind of thing. If you don't like America, why the heck are you here?
I'll also be blunt, I'm well aware that other countries do not have our standard of living. A lot of people who come to the US legally or otherwise are pretty desperate, but honestly I don't think their desperation is our problem. We cannot, and probably shouldn't, be trying to take responsibility for all of the world's problems. Yes, I know that someone's life might suck in China/Mexico/Bolivia/Russia/whatever, but that doesn't mean it's our responsibility to care for these people or take them in. As a result the wretched conditions of the people coming into the country don't personally affect me much. Sure, it's a terrible thing, but we can't solve all these problems without destroying ourselves in the process. The US is already in a massive economic slump, and above and beyond issues related to money and jobs, it's not like these guys are causing anything but problems. I mean we take people in, and they can't even be bothered to learn the language or have their children learn it? They are going to get upset about us flying our own flag in our own country... and do so to the point of threatening violence over it?
The only "plight" in my opinion when it comes to immigrants and illegal immigrants is the one we in the US face in needing to find ways to get rid of them. As time goes on I'm becoming increasingly less humanitarian, and looking towards far mor extreme (and probably predictable) solutions to the problem which I won't get into (again) simply because I already know it will upset people.
I mean, I can get the whole human empathy thing, and why people get upset when seeing other people in pain, and want to help. The problem is that this issue has moved well away from that, and really I think we need to start looking at our own needs here rather than theirs, especially when these guys aren't just biting the hand that feeds them once they are here, but pretty much chopping it off to wear around their neck as a trophy of whatever place they came from.
Now before someone freaks out (I know there are a lot of left wingers here) let me be painfully blunt, this issue has always bugged me, but I've been becoming increasingly angrier over the last few years. Truthfully, the things that are upsetting me the most have absolutly nothing to do with the "big" issues of things like jobs and illegal workers doing them. But things like:
http://www.freelancenews.com/news/249033-high-schools-ban-of-american-flags-has-students-outraged
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/8526614/detail.html
http://majorityrights.com/index.php/weblog/comments/american_flag_banned_in_an_american_school/
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/bikers-rally-to-ride-with-boy-after-school-banned-american-flag/
This is just the tip if the iceberg, not the best sources but it was a quick search over a period of like 30 seconds. I put some links about this kind of thing up in another post where someone was talking about Canada having issue with school prayer as well. If you dig you'll find lots of coverage on these incidents, and more similar incidents, from all kinds of news sources both mainstream and otherwise.
The point here being that the immigration problem is so out of control, and our standards are so low, that we are having kids pressured to not wear the American flag in school, fly it from bikes, and similar things. There have also been people fired from their jobs (or threatened with firing) for doing similar things, or having patriotic bumper stickers or flags on their car. I couldn't find the link but there was one guy who was fired for having an "I support our troops" sticker ribbon on his car which was "offensive" to Muslim co-workers.
The point is that when people immigrate they become Americans, I don't care if it's a hispanic holiday, but your supposed to be an American and the depiction of the flag of your OWN COUNTRY should not be an issue. Whether the person is a dual citizen or a straight immigrant who gave up citizenship, if there is an issue with this they don't belong here, and when there are issues with potential violence over the American flag being displayed in America fueling this, that's an issue of extreme proportions that requires some rather extreme responses.
If your in the US as a citizen, then you should be an American first, and not be acting as a citizen of another country who is merely drawing benefits. What's more we should not be kowtowing to, or encouraging this kind of behavior. I can understand not being discriminatory, but not flying an American flag for fear of offending someone to whom that should be their flag too is an issue. When it comes to guest workers/illegals, it's even worse because those people shouldn't even be a factor for this kind of thing. If you don't like America, why the heck are you here?
I'll also be blunt, I'm well aware that other countries do not have our standard of living. A lot of people who come to the US legally or otherwise are pretty desperate, but honestly I don't think their desperation is our problem. We cannot, and probably shouldn't, be trying to take responsibility for all of the world's problems. Yes, I know that someone's life might suck in China/Mexico/Bolivia/Russia/whatever, but that doesn't mean it's our responsibility to care for these people or take them in. As a result the wretched conditions of the people coming into the country don't personally affect me much. Sure, it's a terrible thing, but we can't solve all these problems without destroying ourselves in the process. The US is already in a massive economic slump, and above and beyond issues related to money and jobs, it's not like these guys are causing anything but problems. I mean we take people in, and they can't even be bothered to learn the language or have their children learn it? They are going to get upset about us flying our own flag in our own country... and do so to the point of threatening violence over it?
The only "plight" in my opinion when it comes to immigrants and illegal immigrants is the one we in the US face in needing to find ways to get rid of them. As time goes on I'm becoming increasingly less humanitarian, and looking towards far mor extreme (and probably predictable) solutions to the problem which I won't get into (again) simply because I already know it will upset people.
I mean, I can get the whole human empathy thing, and why people get upset when seeing other people in pain, and want to help. The problem is that this issue has moved well away from that, and really I think we need to start looking at our own needs here rather than theirs, especially when these guys aren't just biting the hand that feeds them once they are here, but pretty much chopping it off to wear around their neck as a trophy of whatever place they came from.
I loved Machete, and I heartily approve of this game.
Also, I would like to accuse the games accusers of the oversensitivity that has caused our current cultural paralysis. My motto regarding this issue: "If you can't joke about it, you're taking it too seriously. If you take something too seriously, you'll never be able to change it or move on."
Also, I would like to accuse the games accusers of the oversensitivity that has caused our current cultural paralysis. My motto regarding this issue: "If you can't joke about it, you're taking it too seriously. If you take something too seriously, you'll never be able to change it or move on."
So, trivializing illegal immigration is insensitive because it's dangerous, but other dangerous situations in games aren't?
Huh.
Huh.
If they'd quit breaking the law by sneaking over here illegally then there wouldn't be games about it, now would there?
This is my sentiments exactly.Soviet Heavy said:
Seriously though, these games are a very slippery slope for both sides of the debate. Best to just ignore them.
lol I laughed my arse off at this game's trailer. Come on guys, there's games about everything these days, an immigrant smuggling game was inevitable.
Still, looks like a fun as fuck game too. I'd buy it.
Still, looks like a fun as fuck game too. I'd buy it.
Maybe they shouldn't be crossing the border then? Just a thought...
But you know what is? ^^^Cowabungaa said: