The Big Picture: A Guy Named Joe

Therumancer

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Nov 28, 2007
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Skips around the actual issue.

The problem is the rise of liberalism from the 1960s. A lot of the guys calling the shots nowadays are the same guys who were doing the anti-war crusades for Veitnam and Korea and have gotten to define morality and history according to what they wanted.

The thing is that when the boomers were rising into power in the 1980s, it was the birth of Political Correctness. The idea that we could have no bad guys, no matter what they said or did. The USSR was to be presented as a potential group of friends and allies, as opposed to a giant enemy, and you saw this in children's media with a "get them young" attitude. Understand that while the primary enemy was fictional, groups like the Russians WERE present in the form of a USSR version of GI Joe, who despite tensions GI Joe ultimatly wound up teaming up with in most cases to fight a common enemy.

This kind of mentality has given birth to a situation today where we can't clearly identify a culture like that of The Middle East as an enemy, rather we need to take a reactive perspective and only target very specific individuals like those ACTIVELY engaged in terrorism rather than the core issues. The same could be said about China, or anyone else. Unlike previous generations where the media was making no bones about treating our enemies as enemies, and suggestiong violence and military action as a method of dealing with them, today the message is a naive one where violence is always wrong, there are always magical solutions that will arrive to avoid large scale violence, and worst of all is identifying an entire broad group of people as the enemy.

Today's mentality is one where we would not go to war against "Nazism" if it was to rise the same way. Rather we'd make a big deal about only opposing those guys at the top of the food chain, and misunderstanding the huge, international culture, with the fanatical millions behind it, we would of course wind up getting our tails kicked. It says a lot when you consider that people have made arguements that Patton was unworthy to wear a US uniform by modern standards because you know... he made no bones about wanting to destroy the enemy.

The point is a society that won't let you identify the bad guys as bad guys, and does everything in it's power to avoid confrontation, or at least confrontation on the level of a "total war", "us or them" level which would actually see a resolution.

On a lot of levels the problem is your dad's day (so to speak) rather than your grandfather's day. His toys were pretty much made by his grand-dad's generation. Consider that "Dad's" generation were the "make love, not war" generation, who had no sense of national duty, dodged the draft (as opposed to seeing it as a responsibility), and even if the wars at the time were a mess took things to an absolutly ridiculous level in opposition because none of them wanted to get shot at. "Dad's Generation" pretty much defined itself by tearing down society in favor of what it wanted at the moment, and while some good did come of it, a lot more problems occured. There are a lot of sociologists who believe we pretty much face the task of needing to rebuild our society after the US Baby Boomers, and it remains to be seen if the current, indoctrinated generations (given how long they lived, there is more than one, Gen X and Gen Y) can throw off a lot of the propaganda and get things back on track.

Such are my thoughts.
 

Powerman88

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Dec 24, 2008
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Hey Bob! As much as I am a fan of yours this was the first big picture I really enjoyed and took something away from. Makes me hopeful that this series will come in to its own!
 

Ewoc

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Mar 20, 2009
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Wow, very inspiring for someone who has no idea what to do with this life. Thank you.
 

Lieju

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Jan 4, 2009
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I've been certain for as long as I can remember that I want to know stuff. At first I wanted to be teacher, but I was six when I decided I wanted to become a scientist who knows a lot about animals. Which is still my goal and place in life.

But I never had any role-models in that area. I tried having idols, some famous paleontologists or so, but kinda didn't have the interest for it.

I just had these things that interested me.

My greatest child-hood hero was Hercule Poirot, though.
 

2fish

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Sep 10, 2008
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Ah yes the generation of no real threat and then the one with everything is a threat. This will be fun to watch. I think we can narrow it down to everyone is your enemy. We should make a galactic empire if only to have a fun enemy.

HankMan said:
Bob I'd say you've found your place alright.
Also: This world DOES seem to be lacking in the super villain department, especially now that Cheney's out of office! =D
No worries I understand he is cloning himself and building a volcano base ;)
 

Wolf Devastator

Doomsday Arcade Fanatic
Nov 12, 2008
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Great video, I was tabbed doing work while listening, but somehow you kept me interested in a topic about G.I. Joe enough to click the tab and watch it fully. Perhaps it had something to do with you eventually getting to my generation and I still agree with you about Scott Pilgrim. Keep strong and don't let the man (or his sheep) get you down!

:)
 

Blueruler182

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May 21, 2010
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Do people really have this hard a time figuring out what to do with their lives? Is being a man really decided upon how many bad guys you can punch in the face? I've never had an issue knowing what I'll do with my life, but this has given me a fair bit to think about.
 

Armored Prayer

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Mar 10, 2009
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LadyRhian said:
Armored Prayer said:
This was great episode, in fact some points felt inspiring.

I just thought of something interesting though. You mention each generation's version of G.I. Joe and I though "whats this generation's version?" The first thing that came to mind was military FPS like CoD, and how popular it was for both men and boys. Its like the old G.I. Joe what with being about real life soldiers and special forces except its an interactive game. Maybe thats one of the reasons its so popular.(besides being a great game)

Try not to take most of this seriously. Like I said its just an interesting thought I had.
But do the kids who play the game aspire to be those soldiers? Does playing the game make them want to be one when they grow up? That is why I don't think it holds the same kind of place as the other G.I. Joes. It's easier to pwn n00bs in COD than it is to become a real, honest to God soldier or member of the special forces. And that's why most people would rather just play the game.
Well for the question I don't see why not. I've come across a few people who after playing the games were interested in joining the military. Of course you have a good point about the games being easier than actually becoming one, and I bet many players would rather play a game about the military than become part of it.
 

standokan

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May 28, 2009
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Did I just spot a picture of major Armstrong, the manga/anime character I know and love?
 

Dice Warwick

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Nov 29, 2010
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I had a few GI-Joe action figgers, the ones that were "all" plastic, and they fought together with my Z-bots agents Skeletor and his minions made from Kenecks!... I didn't have much friends when I was young. As far back as I can remember, I had to make my own role model, being a kid with multie learning disability, and few friends, I tended to glaze over all the messages that the TV heroes forced out at the end of each show, as I all ready knew most of the stuff they were telling me, my Mom had gotten their fist.
 

brazuca

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Jun 11, 2008
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Bob I won't explaing this now 'cos I got to leave work right now. You should read Michel Michel Foucault. We are no long in the same type of control society anymore. Not the way you think, belive. The main point of this video, wich in any narrative, dissertation or essay is the end got a bit lost to me. GI's and my generation (I'll be 22 by jan. 22) is COD and Medal of Honor. From my friends who joined the military police academy, 3 of them are very fond of modern warfare 2 and 1. Well gotta go, pacht this later when I'm home.
 

Valdez Leel

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Dec 26, 2009
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MovieBob said:
A Guy Named Joe

This week, Bob looks back at some old Joes.

Watch Video
The sad thing being that now, more so than in any point in recent history, it's going to be very hard for young people to find themselves a meaningful place in the world.*

With a stagnant economy, waning social mobility, and an ageing population - where power lies increasingly in the hands of old entrenched elites - even modest aspirations are moving out of reach of the ascending generation.

I do not envy the teenagers of today. We've left them a steep hill to climb when they hit maturity.

*Speaking purely in terms of the western world obviously. Different kettle of fish elsewhere.
 

Thespian

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Sep 11, 2010
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So, what this episode told us is, find your own place in the world and don't base it on cartoons or action movies.

...

Who wasn't already doing that? Since when are "Behind the remote" or "killing the russians" the only two places in the world?

I really don't see what he was trying to say here.
 

Darks63

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Mar 8, 2010
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Really Bob I thought GI Joe the term was coined from a marine( I cant Remember his name atm) on Guadalcanal who dual wielded two browning 50mm Machine guns and single handedly held one part of the breaking 1st marine line at a critical battle on said island.
 

AgDr_ODST

Cortana's guardian
Oct 22, 2009
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Scrumpmonkey said:
**Ahem**

"I see all this potential, and I see squandering. God damn it, an entire generation pumping gas, waiting tables; slaves with white collars. Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don't need. We're the middle children of history, man. No purpose or place. We have no Great War. No Great Depression. Our Great War's a spiritual war... our Great Depression is our lives. We've all been raised on television to believe that one day we'd all be millionaires, and movie gods, and rock stars. But we won't. And we're slowly learning that fact. And we're very, very pissed off"

The more Nhilistic responce to the same problem,

infact a better quote would be;

"I can't get married - I'm a thirty-year-old boy"
well said man....I can think of no way to add to that