There’s an ad I saw several times on Facebook and I don’t know why, because it’s an ad for a game and I’m not a gamer at all, and I find it a bit disturbing. I’ve also been getting hit with a lot of ads for a Game of Thrones game lately, but that’s truly an innocuous fantasy and I’m not disturbed by the content.
Now, when I say ‘disturbed’ I’m not suggesting that it should be banned, or censored. I banned my own kids from playing Grand Theft Auto, but never suggested it be pulled from the market or anything. This is sort of the same.
The initial line of the ad is “Would WWIII be survivable?” or something like that, and then a whole bunch of pictures of apocalyptic battle scenes, and then “Lead your nation to Victory” or something G.I. Joeish like that.
The thing is, it’s actually like they’re selling the idea of WWIII. Even cigarette packets have to warn that the damned things might kill you, slowly and painfully. This is saying “Hey, nuclear war might not be so bad. You could live with it.” I guess, sort of in a Hunger Games/Water World/Escape from New York sort of way. If a lot of people you hated got wiped out and just you and your friends and family, at least those in your family you like, could survive in the woods in Montana or something, it could actually be kind of awesome.
Of course, most people will see it as a harmless game, and for those who see it that way, that’s what it will be. But, our current political landscape seems to indicate that there are a lot of people out there who don’t do so well in the distinguishing reality from fantasy category. I’m afraid that this is going to get them ready to vote for nuclear war.
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