An ordinary life in an extra-ordinary place
Medal of Honour – Ban this filth!!
Yesterday’s mention of the media generated shit storm that erupts with every new offering of Grand Theft Auto turned out to be prescient. Not long after the shock and horror of the “kill all the people at the airport, especially those getting in your way with a luggage trolley” scandal; now we have a new episode of Modern Warfare 2 which is upsetting some people who really should have better things to do with their time.
One of these people is blubber-faced Liam Fox, the UK Secretary of State forWar Defence
“Hello, my name is Liam. What do you do? Sorry, I don’t understand you and it is rather hot and smelly here; can I go home now?”
On a recent trip to Afghanistan to visit the British troops that are being killed for no discernible objective in a war that they can never win, he made sure of some column inches by whining about the upcoming Modern Warfare 2 release which is set in Afghanistan. His complaint was that players can not only play as the plucky coalition forces, they can also switch sides and play as the evil Taliban.
Liam was appalled. “It’s shocking that someone would think it acceptable to recreate the acts of the Taliban,” said Fox. “At the hands of the Taliban, children have lost fathers and wives have lost husbands.” Mr. Fox was no doubt thinking of the 1,912 coalition soldiers who have lost their lives in the conflict.
Meanwhile, in a field nearby, Mr. Fahmi Hamzah, a farmer, was equally appalled. “It’s shocking that someone would think it acceptable to recreate the acts of the coalition forces,” said Fahmi. “At the hands of the coalition forces, children have lost fathers and wives have lost husbands.” Mr. Fahmi was no doubt thinking of the 6,000+ civilians who have lost their lives as the direct result of coalition operations.
One can only hope that the game will include a Taliban mission where you have to raid an army base and take out a visiting politician/media whore before he opens his mouth and talks bollocks.
about 1 year ago
I totally agree with your comments.
about 1 year ago
I disagree with GJ … but only on principle …
about 1 year ago
I have received the following from “John”:
I usually enjoy reading your blog, but when you get political ie criticising the government’s decision to put troops in Afghanistan, then I find it, in the least, boring.
It’s in the West’s interest to secure Afghanistan against the Taliban for several reasons, not least because there are, I believe, important pipelines running through the country.
I reckon that the ‘troops out’ brigade would be the first in line to berate the western powers if they lost their oil or gas heating/air conditioning for more than a day.
Being ex-army, who did a posting to Afghanistan (not as a serving soldier), I know that comments like yours don’t help the moral of the guys serving there.
I’d be grateful if you’d stick to amusing stories and steer clear of the heavy stuff.
about 1 year ago
I come here solely for the political content and would be greatly interested in your take of the current situation between Moldavia and the breakaway region of Transnistria. Failing that a nice shot of the cats posing in sometime made of cardboard will suffice.
about 1 year ago
I disagree with Wentworth … but only on principle …
John is more difficult to handle; while his philosophical point is weak, his practical point is quite overwhelming.
Every day I thank a God that I don’t believe in that we live in a world where we are allowed to even discuss such matters – a freedom that many would wish to deprive us of … and which only exists thanks to the past sacrifices of the UK armed forces – and indeed those of the US – something we forget at our peril …..
about 1 year ago
Are we defending existing pipelines carrying ‘our’ oil and gas??
I think (correct me if I am wrong) that it the intention of the oil companies of the Free West to build those pipelines in the future when the area is stable.
Which might explain why our troops are being killed in large numbers, or perhaps I’m just an old cynic.
about 1 year ago
“I’d be grateful if you’d stick to amusing stories and steer clear of the heavy stuff.”
Yes, best just not to think about any of that heavy stuff at all, isn’t it?
How about we ask some serving US soldiers what they think of this game? VGC did just that: http://tinyurl.com/2fpqobv
Some of the best analysis of the current crop of FPS war games I’ve read; my respect for those guys just leapt up a good few notches.
By comparison, Dr Fox is being outraged-by-proxy – I can guarantee that he has never ever played MoH, or CoD or, infact, does not own a current-gen games console. It would be nice if people that railed against games at least did the legwork to check their facts before doing so.
about 1 year ago
Can’t we just get back to being generally lightheartedish?
about 1 year ago
tut tut Mr J … surely that should be lightheartedishness?
about 1 year ago
genuinej, Billy, tut tut; shouldn’t that be lighthearted?
about 1 year ago
John, thanks for reminding us that these wars are all about securing another country’s oil supplies. That’s omething worth sending our soldiers to die for.
Billy, I agree with you on principle, but not on location. It’s been a while since we’ve seen a war to defend our freedoms. Vietnam? A perceived threat from a ideology which was no threat at all. Iraq? Personal vendetta and oil. Afghanistan? American vendetta and oil. And both of the latter perfectly designed to increase the hatred of those who wish to harm us; and only because we have dicked around in their countries for the last century and slavishly supported one of the most odious regimes on the planet.
It’s terribly sad that our countrymen, and the innocent civilians of the countries they are invading, are dying for a cause which we will look back on as being misguided and worthless. Every day I thank a God that I don’t believe in that my son did not join the military to waste his life on these misguided ventures.
TheSon, thanks for spotting that this was actually a post about computer games, with only a side=serving of politics.
genuinej, you are so sweet. Of course we will get back to being generally lightheared (with some extra letters on the end of your choosing). The next post is to be titled “Blood and Tits”, and it is not about the menstrual cycle of a female MP.
about 1 year ago
Lightheared???