U.S. Marine "Baffled" by Medal of Honor Ban

[SageRuffin]

A Marine that actually uses his brain?! Egads!!

...

I can't say that, he's a brother-in-arms just like everyone else in the Armed Forces. If any other Marines are reading this, please don't come to my base and break my neck or anything.

Seriously though, an added note, I've seen the posters. Apparently the game is not being sold in military stores (such as the aforementioned AAFES) "out of respect for the families of those serving in Iraq". Anyone else find something like that a little odd?

 

[manaman]

Did anyone bother asking the opinion of people who actually served on the ground in Afghanistan what they through about this, before they decided to blow it up into some political controversy?

As a veteran of the US Air Force who fought in Afghanistan and Iraq:

I could care less if they include the Taliban as a named force in a game, or even as a playable side in a game.

 

[Sentox6]

Well, I'm not American so it's all the same to me. I'll tel you this though: they don't fight for you and they don't die for you. It's just what they tell them before they send them to fight for big corporations who don't give a shit about them or you. Today's wars aren't fought for freedom, they are fought for resources and they have nothing to do with patriotism and protecting the actual people. That's why I hate the army. Because they don't realize that they fight for the real enemy. And it is so obvious, it's in plain sight a blind man can see it.

Oh, you're one of those people who think the Iraq war was fought over oil? It's a nice line to parrot, but it makes no sense. There's much better countries to invade for oil sources, and Iraq always lacked the ability to have any real influence on the oil shipments passing out of the Gulf. The U.S. never gained anything in that department.

In hindsight, it's anyone's guess why the invasion happened, but it probably boils down to establishing a military presence in the region. Better to fight in your neighbour's backyard than in your own.

For the record, I'm not American, although that shouldn't make a single bit of difference. But statements like "90% of the military are stupid" just make you look like someone who read an article on the internet about how America invaded Iraq just for oil, and consequently decided you knew all there was to know about how the world works.

 

[Cryo84R]

Most of us in the US military think this way. I want my own headline!

 

[Electrogecko]

I salute this man, not just because he's an army officer. He's right in assuming the type that instituted the ban.
"...movies like Brothers, in which a captured U.S. soldier is forced at gunpoint by Islamic extremists to beat a fellow soldier to death with a pipe." That's fucking terrible....I think the scene I just generated in my mind is worse than anything I've ever seen in a game. That's the best example of hypocrisy and double-standard that I've ever heard for the case of video games.

 

[Autofaux]

Sure, they can CALL them the Opposing Force, but who else are Coalition forces fighting in Kandahar Province? As usual, its bitching over labels. Then again, in single player, it'll still be the Taliban you fight.

And I agree, if you have been personally affected by the war, don't play it. Simple as that.

 

[Painful illusion]

This really sucks for those guys who risk their lives and cant even play a game they want. I wish some one with actual high military power could share his views.

 

[fgdfgdgd]

Unfortunately we live in a time where politics are the main reason for anything on a large scale, personally, i have no problem with it, i don't see a difference between killing Americans in a WW2 game than killing Americans in a present day game, or is it that there is no clear line drawn as to who is the bad guy in this war?

 

[SelectivelyEvil13]

I salute this man, not just because he's an army officer. He's right in assuming the type that instituted the ban.
"...movies like Brothers, in which a captured U.S. soldier is forced at gunpoint by Islamic extremists to beat a fellow soldier to death with a pipe." That's fucking terrible....I think the scene I just generated in my mind is worse than anything I've ever seen in a game. That's the best example of hypocrisy and double-standard that I've ever heard for the case of video games.

I also find that rather unsettling. A ban on content is one thing, but one specific game over a multiplayer label that is rather benign compared to other sanctioned media? If the case were a matter of respect to families and soldiers, then would not all movies, games, and even music that pertain to the current war be treated with equal discretion? The concept of honoring the wishes and looking after the welfare of those serving is perfectly acceptable to me if there is continuity to support such claims.

 

[Logic 0]

This marine deserves a promotion to the highest office in the land for the ability to use logic in public.

 

[Not G. Ivingname]

Finally, somebody making sense!

Somebody in the military that questions the logic of their situation?

Time for a court marshal!

 

[Agayek]

well, atleast SOMEONE in the army isn't a Patriotic Jack Thompson. Though I do agree agree with the idea that this game isn't the worst thing being sold(he named GTA4 and MW2) I disagree with the alcohol and tobacco argument because while it's a valid argument, unlike video games the government gets a large cut of the profits from cigarettes and beer.

Yea, but using the "We think this is harmful" argument to ban the sale of something, then turn around and sell something that's been repeatedly proven to be harmful is decidedly hypocritical. I think that was his entire point. You can't refuse to sell something because it's offensive/harmful then turn around and sell cancer sticks and still retain even the slightest bit of credibility.

 

[Agayek]

I'm not sure that someone having common sense qualifies as news. Things aren't that bad yet.

Yes it does. Good god it does. Simple common sense is so rare in humanity when someone exhibits it, it is always worthy of mention. If for no other reason than the probably vain hope that someone will read it and be inspired to think a little in the future.

 

[Agayek]

-snip-

You raise a good point, but I have to ask, why is depicting a modern conflict in a video game (and from everything I've seen/read, it treats the material roughly the same as any of the several movies about the conflict do) so bad?

I have no intention of buying the game, and I didn't particularly like any of the previous MOH games, but the ban is incredibly silly. It's essentially the same concept as the Hurt Locker/Jarhead/etc, and to my knowledge none of those were banned from sale on military bases. I oppose the ban simply because it's hypocritical and makes no sense.

Once again a logical, calculated statement from a man of sense, people should listen to him. But as history has shown us logic seems to get you nowhere with the masses. Even so, I hope we're not the only ones that read his message.

"The quality of ideas seems to play a minor role in mass movement leadership. What counts is the arrogant gesture, the complete disregard of the opinion of others, the singlehanded defiance of the world."
--Eric Hoffer

Edit: Oh geez, apologies for the triple post.

 

[Lullabye]

I think it's just hypocritical of the army to ban any video game.
They kill people.
And they're affraid that...what, they'll suffer ptsd from playing MoH? Or that being asked to play a fictional character in a virtual world is too offensive for someone who has probably held a gun to someones head at one time or another?Either someone needs to get their priorities straight, or go back to school and pass kindergarten.

 

[King Toasty]

At 19, you can join the Army, kill for your country and die in a car bomb. But heaven forbid you get violent from GTA, or drink until you'r 21.
We here in Canada are also getting like this, unfortunately.

I'm not against the Army, however. I don't agree with everything they do, but sometimes war is necessary. They should just choose their fights better. *cough Iraq cough*

 

[lacktheknack]

But it won't change anything. Oh well, thanks for the support anyways.

 

[Siberian Relic]

"But it is their choice."

The most important bit of this entire article, and I'm betting the detractors won't even pay attention.

 

[SimuLord]

Cpl. Hostutler, sir? You swore to protect this country against all threats, foreign and domestic, right?

Well...we kind of need you in California.

 

[ultrachicken]

I don't know why he's baffled. The marines are afraid that the soldiers will see the horror of war while they're still close enough to home to desert.

Really? And all this time I thought it was games making people want to join the army in the first place... (I kid, I kid)