Terrorist Group ISIS Releases a Recruitment Video Game

[WiiCube_2013]

Me: Hey god, would you come here and educate these war-loving creatures to be peaceful?
God: Fuck that, I'm here with a bajillion virgins all to myself.

Life has a beginning, a mid and an end, then it's over. That's all there is to it.

 

[Taleweaver]

I watched the video. And I'm glad I did: my local media sort of tries to scare me into thinking that ISIS is a bunch of guys who think Al Qaeda are a bunch of pussies, and that they've got more resources, more extremist views and more power.


...and then they send out this half-assed video game mod? No. That doesn't make sense no matter how I look at it. Let's look at it from both sides, shall we?

1. suppose ISIS is really that extreme danger the media is trying to scare us into believing*, and that they want to recruit people through video games. Then why do they release a trailer that seems to be made by a random teenager with some free time and a GTA4 editor? I'm no modder, but I've known guys who could produce a trailer like this in less than an afternoon. No doubt that "huge, powerful web of extremists" can do that too. I know it's sort of a different skill set than what your average terrorist needs, but it's not rocket science.
Am I really to believe that a threat to our entire civilization has the market awareness of a shrimp when it comes to the audience they claim to want to reach? Christ...how did they even manage to misspell "battelfield"? English may not be their first language, but if they're attempting to recruit some, IT MAY FUCKING HELP TO USE GOOGLE TRANSLATE. So no...this video does NOT help to recruit terrorists. In fact, I'd even wager it drives people away when they see the sheer lack of quality they can produce (no, I'm NOT kidding).

2. okay, so let's go at it the other way: suppose that our media want to sell more newspapers and blow the entire ISIS threat out of proportion. That would explain the poor quality of the video...but not at all why they were making one in the first place. Let's say I'm a member of a society or ideology to promote. It's controversial (erm...let's say we're pro abortus...or against it, depending on the issue), so I know that criticism is imminent. That would ensure that I do MY ABSO-FUCKING-LUTE BEST EFFORT to make sure that whatever means I use for promotion is top notch quality. A video game mod would be one of the very last items on the list, as it's not that hard to come up with SOMETHING, but takes way more money than we have to create top notch quality.


*sigh*

I normally don't go for conspiracy theories, but I'm willing to make an exception here. I honestly don't believe the maker(s) of that trailer are extremists, ISIS or even moslims to begin with. Anyone can spend an afternoon in a GTA editor, slap some Arabic subtitles on it, an oriental-sounding soundtrack and some "Allah akhbar" for good measure**. And believe it or not, but ISIS has LESS reasons to produce this kind of garbage than whatever US government agencies. I bet the US army is already using this video to plead for more money to fight this threat to society (despite the fact that these so called superterrorists are AT THE SAME TIME so stupid they can't even properly spell 'battlefield' ).



*y'know...unlike those other fearmongeringies like Y2K, the killer bees or predicted crime waves that JUST DIDN'T HAPPEN
**in fact...I almost want to dive into Garry's mod and parody the whole stuff. Look for exploding tanks, the "America, fuck yeah" track and a screamed "praise the lord" every time someone fires a gun.

 

[FAST6191]

On the matter of the "you should not be talking about it" types can I suggest you all look up Superman, the KKK and Stetson Kennedy. The short version there was the KKK were growing and being a vague and mysterious group they kind of had some power. Stetson Kennedy, though some claim it was someone he worked with doing more of it, fed all the secret handshakes, codes and nonsense the KKK had to the Superman radio drama (it was some years ago), which then shared them wholesale with the public. It was ruinous for the KKK of the time.

http://dangerousminds.net/comments/how_superman_singlehandedly_thwarted_the_ku_klux_klan looks to be a good jumping off point.

 

[nando]

if ISIS had made a mod of super mario 3 where mario is a terrorist destroying koopa's kingdom then i'm in. gta? not so much

 

[Ashtonx]

Well because watching the video is a waste of time. There is a god who created the universe, why would he wish that his people destroy it?

*facepalms*
k whatever, im too old for this.

 

[Taleweaver]

On the matter of the "you should not be talking about it" types can I suggest you all look up Superman, the KKK and Stetson Kennedy. The short version there was the KKK were growing and being a vague and mysterious group they kind of had some power. Stetson Kennedy, though some claim it was someone he worked with doing more of it, fed all the secret handshakes, codes and nonsense the KKK had to the Superman radio drama (it was some years ago), which then shared them wholesale with the public. It was ruinous for the KKK of the time.

http://dangerousminds.net/comments/how_superman_singlehandedly_thwarted_the_ku_klux_klan looks to be a good jumping off point.

Damn...I just read about that the other day (it's got quite some mentions in the book 'freakonomics'). The situation is different now, though. The reason it pretty much ruined the KKK was because it portrayed them as evil to their own environment (their own children enacted 'superman vs the kkk' roleplays, which really showed them how ridiculous and childish their entire 'code' really was).
For the same scenario, you'd need an ISIS infiltrator who knows their codes and then distributes that knowledge to something that appeals to their environment. Hollywood blockbusters and series sometimes attempt this (take 24, for example), but this is aimed at American viewers rather than the middle Eastern region (which means it has about the same effect as Sovjet russia's anti-capitalism posters).


But overall, I absolutely agree that it's something worth talking about. More so: it's downright ignorant to claim this is not gaming news. And FAR more relevant than things like MS buying Mojang or a review of Hohokum.

 

[Izen]

The US has begun airstrikes in Syria targeting ISIS. I think it's safe to say that clearly the threat of violent video games has shown America that ISIS really means business.

 

[Kippykip]

Didn't this used to be on the front page?

 

[Deleted member 194275]

I do not read all the replies, so I do not know if someone already said that, but as fas as I know, US army use games, advertising, sports sponsorship and everything they can to recruit poor, young people to kill and sometimes be killed. ISIS methods, lets say, "in battle", are horrifying, and all that stuff, I'm not denying that, but there is some sort of war out there, and if one side (western nations side) use all media they can to recruit, what is so surprising about the other side of this war use it as well? I go even far with that, if was a drug cartel recruiting with games? Would it be surprising? I bet anyone would even read the news in that case...

 

[Taleweaver]

I go even far with that, if was a drug cartel recruiting with games? Would it be surprising? I bet anyone would even read the news in that case...

Recruitment would be downright illegal, so I don't think that's the word you're looking for. But I agree with you that games that would transfer doubtful morales barely make the news (I've heard of extreme right groups making video games...sort of the inverse of wolfenstein 3D, I guess).

 

[Guild McCommunist]

*facepalms*
k whatever, im too old for this.

Clearly you're not if you're some edgy fedora tipping atheist.

 

[Ashtonx]

So believing in imaginary man from fairy tale is your standard for being grown up ? Oh well maybe when you're so old you start to develop dementia an cling to any bullshit while fearing death. Yeah i'm not that old.

 

[Guild McCommunist]

So believing in imaginary man from fairy tale is your standard for being grown up ? Oh well maybe when you're so old you start to develop dementia an cling to any bullshit while fearing death. Yeah i'm not that old.

Being tolerant is being grown up.

 

[Gahars]

So believing in imaginary man from fairy tale is your standard for being grown up ? Oh well maybe when you're so old you start to develop dementia an cling to any bullshit while fearing death. Yeah i'm not that old.

I want r/atheism to leave.

 

[Ashtonx]

Tolerant ? Sorry i can't tolerate organizations that have long history of manslaughter, pedophilia, opression etc.

but then again i guess it's pointless to argue with pedo lovers.

 

[Foxi4]

It's not a matter of believing or not believing in a God/s/ess/es, it's a matter of allowing other people to believe in whatever they want. By being a militant atheist who ridicules other's beliefs you're no better than the people who try to force religion onto others. If you honestly believe that you're "better", "smarter" or "more intelligent" because you're an atheist or that the world is black and white, every priest is a sexual deviant and every muslim is a terrorist, you have a whole lot of growing up to do. I'll humour you by playing your game - "Stalin was an atheist, ergo all atheists are communists and murderers". Except they're not, but that's besides the point.

 

[Ashtonx]

Allowing ? Did i even say you can't believe what you want ? I just point out faults in your beliefs and organisations you support. But then again i guess you're one of those people who prefer to turn a blind eye on all the shit and be happy cos you're tolerant or cos your priest told you you're gonna go to heaven after death. And sorry people you speak of tolerance, yet not one of you tolerates atheism, shows just how much of a bullshit your tolerance is worth

Foxi4: you live in poland, seeing what church does in this country and supporting it or turning a blind eye in the name of political correctness ?


I'm not an atheist warrior, unlike you lot who turn a blind eye on all the shit i'm honest with myself and speak what i think. As for stalin argument, it's hilarious but as i've mentioned i'm too old to actually care whether i'm changing your mind, whether you're gonna support christians, islam, or some other pedo terrorist organisation. Got better things to do, still won't change the fact that i will speak what i think and point out faults in this sort of bs, cause unlike you people i don't feel a pathological need to be accepted, and abide by broken social rules.

 

[Foxi4]

Allowing ? Did i even say you can't believe what you want ? I just point out faults in your beliefs and organisations you support. But then again i guess you're one of those people who prefer to turn a blind eye on all the shit and be happy cos you're tolerant or cos your priest told you you're gonna go to heaven after death. And sorry people you speak of tolerance, yet not one of you tolerates atheism, shows just how much of a bullshit your tolerance is worth

Foxi4: you live in poland, seeing what church does in this country and supporting it or turning a blind eye in the name of political correctness ?

I'm not an atheist warrior, unlike you lot who turn a blind eye on all the shit i'm honest with myself and speak what i think. As for stalin argument, it's hilarious but as i've mentioned i'm too old to actually care whether i'm changing your mind, whether you're gonna support christians, islam, or some other pedo terrorist organisation. Got better things to do, still won't change the fact that i will speak what i think and point out faults in this sort of bs, cause unlike you people i don't feel a pathological need to be accepted, and abide by broken social rules.

Not in the name of political correctness, in the name of being an adult and letting people decide for themselves what they want to believe in. Religion can be pathological, but so can be ideology or any other belief - once again I bring up socialism, communism etc. In fact, even simple things like patriotism, loving your own country, can be easily turned into pathological and xenophobic abomination like fascism or nazism. You're blaming religion for what human nature is responsible for.

 

[Ashtonx]

And ? when i said you have to be an atheist ? one person questioned islam i saw enough brains to question i suggested not to waste time changing from one crappy institution to other. I do point problems with religion because it's organized, corrupted and used to control and indoctrinate people. I blame religion because it teaches people to believe and obey rather than think for themselves.

 

[Foxi4]

And ? when i said you have to be an atheist ? one person questioned islam i saw enough brains to question i suggested not to waste time changing from one crappy institution to other. I do point problems with religion because it's organized, corrupted and used to control and indoctrinate people. I blame religion because it teaches people to believe and obey rather than think for themselves.

You literally said that if you're religious, you support peadophiles and terrorists. You worded it differently, but that's exactly what you said. Not every muslim is a terrorist and not every Christian priest is a peadophile - you're painting the world in black and white on the basis of isolated extreme cases.