this post was submitted on 12 Apr 2024
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Many people play games to escape reality. I dont feel like having current political bullshit in my games as i'm confronted with that day to day. Let me just fly around in spaceships or race cars or whatever.
I'll play games with politics when I'm up for it.
I don't understand this whole thing, is this something American?
Okay but everything is politics, its only a matter of how controversial those politics are ('monarchy bad' and 'Nazis evil' used to be pretty safe, but are edgelord shit now) and for some of us our fucking existence is controversial enough that basically anything is either 'political' or a direct assault.
Like, if I want a 'non political' escape from reality, that's by your definition to a world where I don't exist. Where nobody like me exists. Where nobody like me can exist. That's cool. Worlds where I'm not allowed to exist are totally apolitical; nothing to read into there.
There's a certain portion of the chronically online population that has taken the "us versus them" mentality to a whole new level. By their estimation their political beliefs are morally right and they therefore have a moral obligation to spread those beliefs at every opportunity.
This has two major effects. The first is that because their viewpoints are morally correct, everyone who does not agree with every aspect of their political beliefs is not only wrong, but evil. Ambivalence, skepticism, and doubt are similarly evil.
The second is that because their viewpoints are morally correct every piece of media, great and small, must advocate for their ideology. To simply make no ideological or political statements is a wasted opportunity, and is therefore sinful.
While these zealots make up a tiny, tiny fraction of the population they spend a lot of their time validating and shoring up their beliefs. This has the unfortunate side effect of making the internet shittier for the rest of us who just want to hang out.
Okay but what if I'm hearing people around me actively talk about exterminating me and rounding people like me up into camps?
There's a pretty clear line between calling out extremism and making partisan politics a lifestyle.
You knew that, which is why you chose that example.
If the line's that clear, show me where it is.
Sure, at the taking of life or reduction of freedom based on immutable aspects of personhood determined at birth and/or without due process.
So I agree on the first part.
Explain what the fuck "due process" means to you? Because to me it sounds kinda sick. (Edit: Sick as in perverse, vile, abominable)
Buddy, at some point you're going to need to get yourself a basic understanding of civics.
I think I have a pretty advanced understanding and find what I assume to be your understanding offensive as fuck, for reasons I'm willing to lay out here, but I could be wrong about what you mean when you say that, and I don't want to talk shit on an imaginary dumbass at you. If that makes any sense.
So I asked for clarification.
Politics doesn't have anything to do with the amount of effort it takes to play a game. You're confusing two vastly different concepts. Ultimately what you are saying is that you want a game devoid of meaning, which you feel no obligation to understand or judge. That's not politics, but it is interesting, because I have typically only heard the assertion that art should not have meaning from gamers and nazis.
Mate, what's wrong about enjoying a puzzle game for instance? Games don't necessarily need a meaning if the mechanics are fun. Art can have meaning, without being political. As long as something invokes emotions, it has meaning. I just don't like how you said, that one is inherently racist when they don't want politics in games.
I do enjoy games with fictional or even historical politics by the way, but sometimes it's just nice to simply play a sports game. Real world politics are so heated at the moment, I really can't deal with anything too close to reality. Nazis are on the rise again and it's just so depressing. Some people are simply exhausted. Not fucking racists.
Oh, you don't like the real world? That's a political ideology, it's called soulism. Look it up, it might appeal to you, since it sounds like you're already a soulist.
Be that as it may, it's possible for entertainment to be void of politics. You're coming up with philosophies, not politics.
No it's not. Games are either realist or irrealist. Both are political. I've never seen a game that was neither.