News Story on Democrats Leveraging Video Games

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Paul_Tillich

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#1  Edited By Paul_Tillich

So, I have posted here before about how my academic work intersects with video games, including a PAX East panel some GB folks attended. It just so happens that an MIT reporter who was looking to write about Biden, Harris, and AOC using video games to increase voter turnout aligned with the finalization of my book on philosophy, religion, video games, and changing political and religious institutions through games. The reporter and I talked for about 30 minutes about much more than what is in the article, but I suspect the focus of their piece changed when AOC streamed on Twitch the night before publication. Because there is a lot of discussion not in this article, and I have quite enjoyed talking about these subjects with GB people before, I am mentioning the article here.

https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/10/21/1011038/aocs-among-us-livestream-hints-at-twitchs-political-power/

I actually have more passionate thoughts about the Biden campaign using Animal Crossing and how interacting with others in video games can lead to real world change (thought the AOC streaming numbers were cool), but I'd love to just chat about this topic and answer questions if people find it engaging.

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petesix0

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Disclaimer: Non-constituent observer

I checked in on it a few times and it seemed really cool and a vibrant moment. She(From again, my foreign position) seems really cool too, so it made me think of how quickly others could get this overused and made weak. Not a word of a lie - the low bar I'd set for how things could get, I saw a game magazine editor saying it happened already. So I guess that means this is less "This is new" and much more "The person in this job plays games & can make both seem cool".

Don't want to take away from this, because what I saw of the earlier parts(Among Us mainly) it seemed awesome. Probably a lot of people being reached out to rn about which games are a good fit for which candidate/pol.

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Paul_Tillich

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@petesix0: I think I should note that the reporter reached out to the Trump campaign and other Republican campaign leaders, and those Republicans said very directly that they would not not be using video games (if not outright making fun of the concept, which some did). I don't think everyone in streaming is going to jump onto the bandwagon, primarily because people like AOC are going to be selective regarding who they stream with. Rather, I take the discrepancy between Republican and Democrat responses as indication that Democrats are onto something--something (interacting with others in video games) I have good reason to think can/will result in real practical change.

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petesix0

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@petesix0: I have good reason to think can/will result in real practical change.

This, really. Like I said, I don't want to sound down on it because I'm not, it seemed really good. The low bar I mentioned having already happened, feels like previous(obv v different) iterations before successful version breaks out. Which this did, I feel.

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yyninja

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I'm wary of politicians using video games as a platform to appeal to voters. Often it comes across as fake and pandering such as the groan worthy line of HRC telling people to "Pokemon Go to the polls". And usually they only do this kind of stuff during an election season.

I think Republicans avoid video games altogether because they know that people who play video games skew young and are not their main base of support.

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FinalDasa

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#6 FinalDasa  Moderator

As games become platforms unto themselves, especially platforms that can reach a younger and more diverse group of potential voters, expect this to become the norm.

Not to mention games are just apart of life for people who aren't in their 60s. So just like with AOC playing Among Us to tell everyone to vote, expect more politicians to recognize the usefulness of games.

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Efesell

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It does feel like the people mocking these efforts or this concept as a potential avenue of outreach are just sort of daring the sword poised above their heads to finally come crashing down.

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BoccKob

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Looking forward to the New York Times reporting that Candidate Assface has been caught using a network of spam bots to solicit votes in exchange for WoW gold.

Any time politicians embrace a new medium to peddle their bullshit, that medium ends up inevitably flooded with hostile foreign agents, parasites, fabricators, and otherwise irredeemably disgusting humans. Video games already has plenty of those. Not only would I not vote for someone because I saw them streaming on Twitch, I would be less inclined to overall.

If this becomes a regular thing and they find out how much money and attention can be made from it, the video game industry will get even shittier than it already is.

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wollywoo

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#9  Edited By wollywoo

This doesn't feel that significant to me. Video games are mainstream now, so it's not surprising to see politicians (or at least their PR teams) interacting more with them. I don't know that I can draw any particular conclusions or insight other than that. On the other hand, it would be interesting (harrowing) to see more games developed for explicitly political purpose. If it was subtle and not too preachy (unlikely), it could be effective. It would be interesting to see SimCity-style simulation games showing how various policies work.

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BladeOfCreation

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AOC streaming is less cringe-inducing than the Biden campaign making an Animal Crossing island, because AOC genuinely believes that games can reach people. If a Biden staffer tried to explain Animal Crossing to him, he'd just ask how much the Animal Crossing record cost.

On the other hand, there is some hypocrisy in using games to advance one's political goals while trying to prevent other government institutions from doing the same. I'd argue that elected officials doing so is worse than non-elected government entities doing so.

On the other other hand, I actually believe that politicians (and their staffs) in general should refrain from using social media because all they do is embarrass themselves and make themselves look even more ridiculous.

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Shindig

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Part of Trump's appeal is his ability to mouth off on twitter, sadly.

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eukara

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#13  Edited By eukara

I can see this becoming the norm amongst those who see the value in trying to engage with younger audiences. This is effectively how you stay relevant in the long-term, anyway.

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vaiz

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I feel like this is just the natural evolution of running campaign ads during sports events, except the candidates themselves are playing the sports.

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cikame

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I thought we hated politics in video games?

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Justin258

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I saw a picture on Reddit of Ilhan Omar next to her gaming PC. As millenials get older, this will happen more and more.

I don't hate it? I mean, if you want nothing to do with it it's easy enough to ignore. It also seems more than easy enough for trolls and assholes to do some damage, somehow.

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plan6

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It is the natural progression into the main stream. At some point video game likers were going to get it that prime voting age. But video game likers now need to need to keep the hobby from becoming like the NFL, so filled with political messaging for so long that even point out the political messaging exists makes people mad.

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bondfish

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It pretty clear that they are trying to get the younger audience to vote for them, after all it is a campaign, so it makes sense. Personally I don't think I would ever watch a politician even a campaign of sorts interacting with a video game just not that interested. Even with celebrities as well it as ways seems like a false "gamer" impression which is always been off putting to me.

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Paul_Tillich

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The comments about these efforts giving off the impression of fake "gamers" (a term most academics in game studies hate for a number of reasons, mainly because the way it is used is already filled with tons of bias and assumptions about who "counts" as a lover of games) are odd to me, not because that impression is wrong, but because it is not the major impression that was left on the majority of players I have interviewed about this issue. Yes, it is a little cringy when Biden and Harris set up an office HQ in Animal Crossing, and almost inevitably was going to come across as such, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. Some people appreciate the awkwardness and take it as a sign that politicians are acknowledging value in video games. Do Biden, Harris, and their staffers who did this work know as much about games as people on this site? Almost certainly not. However, affirming a piece of culture and coming to it on its turf signals something very different than doing politics as normal and expecting everyone to come to you, the politician, because your importance is supposedly obvious.

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OurSin_360

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As long as it doesn't turn into propaganda. I'd rather we teach kids how to think, rather than what to think so we can generate new ideas to push humanity forward. Letting the collective do our decision making is too much of a default these days IMO.

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petesix0

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People used to think D&D was making Jesus feel targeted. People used to think Doom was driving sales of trenchcoats. Depending on who you listen to, people thought the radio would warn them of UFO invasion. It's been said already, but the cliche is "times change", and the gap in accomplishment I feel like we all see between the Animal Crossing stuff and the AOC stream is the gap between ages of supporters(And what those supporters have been raised to hear from pols). I'm not saying the three types of people I described at the beginning of this comment still believe those things in large numbers(I'd guess some do), but a bad taste can linger longer than the memory of what you ate. Younger people seem to have not been as susceptible to the gaslighting over societal critical thinking at those 3 times because they were involved more than their parents and this continues.

I do think we're all talking about a Rubicon being crossed in that it seems genuine enough and popular enough to feel significant. If doing an AMA while playing Puyo Tetris is a way to get details from pols while asking them germaine questions, then it seems better than a lot of modern options. Very much feels like "do the thing until I can believe you can do the thing" which pols use public appearances/debates presence to let the public try to gauge their strength. But also be aware that as with anything, imitators and corruptors will glom to this.

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Paul_Tillich

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@petesix0: I pretty much agree with this take. Video games are not a panacea, but popular culture has always been an important factor in driving societal change--I could give plenty examples of pop culture leading change in religious institutions besides political examples. It is precisely because video games and the cultures around games are important, and because so many adults have now always lived with games as opposed to older generations, that bad actors and those acting in bad faith will likely get involved as well.

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Shindig

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I wouldn't worry about it until a streamer launches a successful political career.

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petesix0

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@shindig: You raise simply terrifying prospects.

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Efesell

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Shit man I'd elevate most streamers out there ahead of fully half of our current fucking government.

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petesix0

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I've seen Man of The Year play out tooooo many times lately and my febrile brain is just not allowed control of the keyboard rn to put out the nouns of the concerns I have because I can see too easily how it would happen.

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Efesell

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Actual reality is so far beyond what we thought parody was that it's barely worth being concerned about something like that.

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petesix0

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People saw parody and went "oh haha that seems so far away doesn't it". Seen a lot of people choiring up over SNL and declaring satire dead. Satire not dead. 1. Break glass and 2. Escape 3. Get New Teeth. Satire at it's most frequently used is "stories told & heard, but with language of real, disappointing humans". I would say that while things like the AOC stream make me feel positive, most of this year has taught me that my own ability to register disappointment needed a gauge that has a wider range. New teeth are what you go get when you realise your chew isn't enough anymore.

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Shindig

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It might, might give politicians a chance to escape their bubble, as well.

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petesix0

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#30  Edited By petesix0

Splatoon = Voight-Kampff

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BisonHero

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#31  Edited By BisonHero

@paul_tillich said:

The comments about these efforts giving off the impression of fake "gamers" (a term most academics in game studies hate for a number of reasons, mainly because the way it is used is already filled with tons of bias and assumptions about who "counts" as a lover of games) are odd to me, not because that impression is wrong, but because it is not the major impression that was left on the majority of players I have interviewed about this issue. Yes, it is a little cringy when Biden and Harris set up an office HQ in Animal Crossing, and almost inevitably was going to come across as such, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. Some people appreciate the awkwardness and take it as a sign that politicians are acknowledging value in video games. Do Biden, Harris, and their staffers who did this work know as much about games as people on this site? Almost certainly not. However, affirming a piece of culture and coming to it on its turf signals something very different than doing politics as normal and expecting everyone to come to you, the politician, because your importance is supposedly obvious.

I know there's a lot of baggage to "fake gamer," but I think there's a distinction between the two events. AOC and Omar, as much as they were inexperienced with streaming setups and the game (to some extent), were legitimately playing the game for several hours while trying to get across the message about voting. There's an authenticity to that which the audience appreciates. On the other hand, there's no universe where I believe Biden, Harris, or anyone at the top of the campaign has ever touched Animal Crossing. At best they got an intern to spend a day or two making this Animal Crossing island, and then campaign leadership was given like a 20 minute demo of the finished Animal Crossing Biden HQ thing. It got the thumbs up with campaign leadership not really understanding anything about the island other than it is inoffensive and it's something that the kids are playing these days.

I'm not trying to say there's anything wrong with the Animal Crossing thing, just that it lessens the impact when the actual politician is probably numerous steps removed from creating whatever the event is, in whatever the chosen game is. Granted, I know there's a big difference between being a presidential candidate versus being a congressperson, and obviously there's tons of things related to the campaign that Biden and Harris have no direct involvement in and delegate to others.

Anyway, I hope someone polls the gaming community and tries to estimate which event got overall more engagement (or whatever the right term is), and which event left a stronger impression on "gamers" that pay attention to politics.

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Paul_Tillich

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@bisonhero: You are not wrong. Biden and Harris are not grinding Animal Crossing every day. The staffers who set it up may not even play much. They could have followed some online guide. However, as big as political campaigns at this level are, all these decisions are made deliberately. Even is someone below Biden and Harris came up with the idea, the candidates approved it. In that sense, the two politicians are obviously "fake gamers" and do not play video games, or at least this game. However, I do not see that as the point, and do not think it was their intention.

I am a philosopher, not a political scientist, and the following is somewhat repeating myself, but the mere effort of coming to gamers rather than the traditional move of politicians asking you to flock to them because they supposedly have you you need--that signals a lot. Trump's campaign declined comments on this story and publicly called this Democratic strategy stupid. They are right, have it all, and we all must come to them, according to that strategy. Risking the embarrassment of engaging video games, but doing it anyway, really indicates those engaging our communities see values in our beloved hobby. I also think there are analogies to Gamergate revealing video game culture was the emperor with no clothes on, and the sometimes awkward initial steps to do better versus the sorts of games that are now appearing across the industry (indie, B tier/AA, AAA, and however else you wish to label them). Politicians engaging gaming culture will similarly mature.

As a closing thought, there is also a natural fit between the Democratic platform that is more diverse than the Republican one, and engaging the side of video game culture that is trying to be more inclusive.

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Paul_Tillich

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I meant to say something about this in the comment I just made, but I also think this is a great point.

@shindig said:

It might, might give politicians a chance to escape their bubble, as well.

While I just noted that Democrats are a more natural fit for the inclusive side of video games, I actually think video games are addressing diversity issues and how to bring everyone to the table better than politics, religion, and most major U.S. institutions... despite all the real glaring problems that remain in video games. That being said, right now video game controversies are pretty quick to be called out and nobody is taking bullshit talking points. People demand action and ramifications. Video game communities could be a real part of pushing politicians to give up the status quo and support pressing issues, evidenced by the fact that the itch.io and HumbleBundle fundraisers during the Summer's BLM protests raised more money than Amazon donated to the cause. While I do not deny major problems remaining in the game industry, the speed of addressing things is lightspeed compared to the way Christian churches have become more progressive over many many decades to the point that they could approve gay marriage, for example. I make a big deal out of these sorts of dynamics and how comparatively well video games fare in my upcoming book the reporter mentioned.

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petesix0

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Thinking on this for a while, realised before this week my impression of politician would have been like:

(is handed controller) "Oh I ahahaha I ahahaaha these...you never know how to ahahahaha thank you yes"

(squints at screen) "It seems I have to press the"(stares down at controller)"...it seems I...ahahaha I'm not going to crucify someone with this button ahahahah...AM I ahahaha"

(ffwd 2mins) "I am literally stoned Harrison Ford describing Uncharted rn"

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Onemanarmyy

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#35  Edited By Onemanarmyy

@paul_tillich: Risking the embarrassment of engaging video games, but doing it anyway, really indicates those engaging our communities see values in our beloved hobby

Perhaps in the next election cycle we'll get candidates to argue and call eachother out (in a more mainstream way) about the use of videogames in their campaigns to reach their followers. But when you think about it, trying to embarass someone over videogames is quite predictable and one dimensional and can be easily parried. Especially when it's not just something that they do purely to de-stress and relax but also has a relation to their job of being a politician.

'While Candidate A was playing videogames in their basement, i was doing important work'

'I focus on issues in the real world while candidate A rather runs away from reality and dives in their fantasy worlds'

These kind of messages only really hit hard when candidate A acts embarrassed about it as well. 'Oh no i got caught behaving like a child! Spending my time on useless cartoon crap. I swear i only played it one time!' Instead, candidate A could use this attack to launch into an entire monologue about how important it is to be in touch with the community they want to represent and how important it is to get their message across through a plethora of different media to reach out to all kind of folk that may not be reachable through the traditional channels and don't feel represented by the system yet. Or they could turn the attack around with a: 'Wait... it's 2024 and you still perceive gaming as something for kids and nerds? You do know that the gaming industry is one of the countries biggest entertainment industries right Grandpa? This is a typical response from someone that's entirely out of touch with today's society, yet wants you to believe they are capable to govern in your best interests.'

It's easy to go 'hhahaaha Nerd!' and take some high fives across the room, but i still think a good response to that stereotyping hits home for more people. Especially as more and more people have their own gaming history and gaming friends and know that it's not just something kids and nerds do. Sports is a real life game yet no politician would attack watching sports as a waste of time because they know it has been widely accepted as an beloved pastime. Watching films & reading books are accepted ways of diving into fantasy worlds. As time passes, mocking someone for playing a videogame will be less and less effective.

It reminds me of that event where footage of AOC dancing to Phoenix - Lizstomania during college, was dragged up with the intention to smear her as a vapid commie that belongs on a stripper pole. She doubled down on the dancing with a new dancing clip and turned it into a positive event for her. I think any attacks towards the use of videogames in a campaign could be turned around on the attacker just as easily as long as you double down on it and showcase that you're absolutely not ashamed about something that you don't consider shameful.

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Paul_Tillich

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@onemanarmyy: Exactly, that is a longer version of what I was saying. There is nothing really embarrassing in the "embarrassment"--if anything, it is a positive signal.

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ToughShed

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#37  Edited By ToughShed

Can't wait to see Ted Cruz or Tom Cotton or another reptile try to do this and appear human.

Having open, transparent and normal human interactions with people in the US Govt for a change is a great thing.

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ToughShed

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#38  Edited By ToughShed
@paul_tillich said:

@shindig said:

It might, might give politicians a chance to escape their bubble, as well.

While I just noted that Democrats are a more natural fit for the inclusive side of video games, I actually think video games are addressing diversity issues and how to bring everyone to the table better than politics, religion, and most major U.S. institutions...

One party literally doesn't want this and has been systematically suppressing the vote for years lol. They don't' want inclusion, diversity, or anything of the like. They have been working to divide people intentionally, completely in the open too now, for more than 4 years.

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ToughShed

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#39  Edited By ToughShed

@bladeofcreation said:

On the other hand, there is some hypocrisy in using games to advance one's political goals while trying to prevent other government institutions from doing the same. I'd argue that elected officials doing so is worse than non-elected government entities doing so.

dude are you actually comparing a politician (elected representative of the people) connecting with every day citizens through a game to military recruitment on twitch? where the guy doing the recruiting was an open racist on social media? lol. I think we can separate our military and our elected government man. That is an insanely bad take that carries water for American imperialism and militarism.

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BoyNukem

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Vote Kick 2020

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Paul_Tillich

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@toughshed: Absolutely. It is no surprise that Republican politicians are making fun of these efforts.

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BladeOfCreation

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@toughshed: I disagree with the notion that elected officials should be allowed to do something that they prevent other people from doing. I dislike double standards.

I also dislike American imperialism and believe that there is special place in hell for military recruiters. We can disagree on the optics of this sort of thing. We're not on different sides here.

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ToughShed

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#43  Edited By ToughShed

@bladeofcreation said:

@toughshed: I disagree with the notion that elected officials should be allowed to do something that they prevent other people from doing. I dislike double standards.

lol the GD military man? you have a very warped and pro militarism perspective. to say one side is an ELECTED OFFICIAL OF THE PEOPLE and the other is a war crimes machine. good luck with that.

I don't think you and I are on different sides ultimately, which is why I thought to call out such a backwards and pro militarization/imperialist comment like this. Its not a double standard and to hold it up as such is to buy into the militarization and imperialism in America wholecloth.

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ToughShed

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@toughshed: Absolutely. It is no surprise that Republican politicians are making fun of these efforts.

Just am seeing, shocker, angry right wing reactionaries are trying to ruin the game.