Good action this past Saturday in Philly:

From The Hudson Valley Activist Newsletter, May 4, 2009

GREAT PEACE DEMONSTRATION
AIMED AT HALTING PENTAGON PROJECT
TO ATTRACT TEENAGE RECRUITS

Link to full article and videos:
http://shutdowntheaec.net/



Some 300 protesters, including many antiwar vets as well as community people, shut down the Army Experience Center at Philadelphia's Franklin Mills Mall May 2 for one hour, drawing world attention to the facility. Seven people were arrested.

This is the multimillion dollar Pentagon experiment to convince American teenagers to join the military after repeated exposure to military video "games" and other youthful attractions glorifying war. If “Experience Centers” succeed, they will be built in many areas.

Click on the above link to the full story and two videos about the action — one about four minutes showing the opening rally, followed by another of nine minutes or so about the march to the Mall and the demonstration at the Experience Center resulting in the arrests.

Mebbe it's tin foil but I've long had the suspicion that these fightin'/shootin' video games had something to do with the Pentagon from the git go. Besides offering an intro to operating modern weapon systems there is the desensitizing effect, which the military no doubt finds useful but also results in 15 year old kids wielding shotguns and SKS rifles from mopeds in drive bys and robberies around here of late. Guess that's collateral damage.

No tin hat needed there, IMO, its a form of propaganda, and a form of rewiring. Get the kids before they can build up a sense of killing as wrong, or numb them with constancy and you've got great drone soldiers...boot camp must be easier as the kids have "Kill, Kill, Kill" down to a science. I remember my brother threw up a lot when he came home from boot camp in the 70's, doubt thats very common these days...and pain is fun and funny to far too many. Gotta resensitize, but how?

I don't think video games have much, if anything to do with it, personally. Try playing some video games sometime (I know, you guys are like way old but still..get with the times, maaaaan ;)) and you'll see its pretty absurd. Now if you claim they reduce attention span or something like that, it'd be different (but then so do boobs and we're not complaining about those..)

I don't think video games have much, if anything to do with it, personally. Try playing some video games sometime (I know, you guys are like way old but still..get with the times, maaaaan ;)) and you'll see its pretty absurd. Now if you claim they reduce attention span or something like that, it'd be different (but then so do boobs and we're not complaining about those..)


I still think they affect young kids in a desensitizing manor. I've played lots of video games, and don't have too much of a problem with them except for the time kill factor for adults, but for younger kids who haven't totally formed a sense of reality the war and violent video games, (I know they are rated for ages, but we all know that means doodly squat) truly rewire the brain (as you say killing attention for one thing), from what I've read, and give the kids a false sense of power and life and death, I think violence on tv does much the same, and I have maybe more of a problem with shows like 24 with all the torture segments. That said, I worked with a video gaming company last summer and they do lots of educational workshops for kids. I used to love Doom myself, but I'm too addictive a personality...(the Sims really got me for a while, but the violence factor is fairly low there!!).


The action was valid, I think, in that the games are geared just for the purposes of producing killing machines...

As a mod here I'm considering your last comment as breaking the rules perhaps ;)...and it is lucky you're not in school still; cleavage is the style, you can't get away from 'em...Might be so ubiquitous that the guys are being desensitised to them! ;)

I don't think video games have much, if anything to do with it, personally. Try playing some video games sometime (I know, you guys are like way old but still..get with the times, maaaaan ;)) and you'll see its pretty absurd. Now if you claim they reduce attention span or something like that, it'd be different (but then so do boobs and we're not complaining about those..)


I still think they affect young kids in a desensitizing manor. I've played lots of video games, and don't have too much of a problem with them except for the time kill factor for adults, but for younger kids who haven't totally formed a sense of reality the war and violent video games, (I know they are rated for ages, but we all know that means doodly squat) truly rewire the brain (as you say killing attention for one thing), from what I've read, and give the kids a false sense of power and life and death, I think violence on tv does much the same, and I have maybe more of a problem with shows like 24 with all the torture segments. That said, I worked with a video gaming company last summer and they do lots of educational workshops for kids. I used to love Doom myself, but I'm too addictive a personality...(the Sims really got me for a while, but the violence factor is fairly low there!!).


The action was valid, I think, in that the games are geared just for the purposes of producing killing machines...

As a mod here I'm considering your last comment as breaking the rules perhaps ;)...and it is lucky you're not in school still; cleavage is the style, you can't get away from 'em...Might be so ubiquitous that the guys are being desensitised to them! ;)



Don't know nothing about '24' 'cept by rumor but are you familiar with the 'Saw" franchise of 'cut 'em up' movies? As I trade in DVD's and the young dude that works with me is a fan I've been treated to some of that, unbelievable sadism. That's entertainment? I just don't get it, it can't be good. Just gimme the Wolfman and such, am I an old fart or what?

I still think they affect young kids in a desensitizing manor.

Is the Desensitizing Manor the place where Dr Frankenstein hooks you up to a billion Killajolts (with "Killa" being a figure of speech of course)? ;)

I don't think video games have much, if anything to do with it, personally. Try playing some video games sometime (I know, you guys are like way old but still..get with the times, maaaaan ;)) and you'll see its pretty absurd. Now if you claim they reduce attention span or something like that, it'd be different (but then so do boobs and we're not complaining about those..)


I still think they affect young kids in a desensitizing manor. I've played lots of video games, and don't have too much of a problem with them except for the time kill factor for adults, but for younger kids who haven't totally formed a sense of reality the war and violent video games, (I know they are rated for ages, but we all know that means doodly squat) truly rewire the brain (as you say killing attention for one thing), from what I've read, and give the kids a false sense of power and life and death, I think violence on tv does much the same, and I have maybe more of a problem with shows like 24 with all the torture segments. That said, I worked with a video gaming company last summer and they do lots of educational workshops for kids. I used to love Doom myself, but I'm too addictive a personality...(the Sims really got me for a while, but the violence factor is fairly low there!!).


The action was valid, I think, in that the games are geared just for the purposes of producing killing machines...

As a mod here I'm considering your last comment as breaking the rules perhaps ;)...and it is lucky you're not in school still; cleavage is the style, you can't get away from 'em...Might be so ubiquitous that the guys are being desensitised to them! ;)



Don't know nothing about '24' 'cept by rumor but are you familiar with the 'Saw" franchise of 'cut 'em up' movies? As I trade in DVD's and the young dude that works with me is a fan I've been treated to some of that, unbelievable sadism. That's entertainment? I just don't get it, it can't be good. Just gimme the Wolfman and such, am I an old fart or what?




I actually still had tv the first year 24 came out and got hooked immediately, and there was torture the first year...the second year I decided I wouldn't even start watching it because it raised my anxiety level so high I couldn't sleep for quite a while..and I can't afford that!!

Well, we'll see what trouble I get in, I gave two brother students of mine a cd called "before you enlist", that tells what the recruiters don't. These kids were pretty gung ho to sign up, I saw them talking to the recruiter in the cafeteria...we'll see...I can't take it anymore...

Well, I may have stopped two kids from signing on...they were questioning the status quo anyway...

I am with the kid on this one - video games.

I am with the kid on this one - video games.


The counter recruitment dvd I gave the boys was a "just the facts" tape produced by the Quakers. Talked about the "stories" the recruiters tell, the harassments, the deals they break, and how long one might serve vs. how long they believe they will serve...everything, but dry as a bone. It doesn't tell anyone not to join, it just tells them what the recruiters aren't telling them. The kids said they thought it was going to be much more anti-military, which they were ready to argue, but this has them thinking...

Maybe should have started a new thread with this as it has nothing to do with video games, but with the recruiters in the schools...

I am with the kid on this one - video games.


The counter recruitment dvd I gave the boys was a "just the facts" tape produced by the Quakers. Talked about the "stories" the recruiters tell, the harassments, the deals they break, and how long one might serve vs. how long they believe they will serve...everything, but dry as a bone. It doesn't tell anyone not to join, it just tells them what the recruiters aren't telling them. The kids said they thought it was going to be much more anti-military, which they were ready to argue, but this has them thinking...

Maybe should have started a new thread with this as it has nothing to do with video games, but with the recruiters in the schools...


Oh I know, CL. I just saw a chance to agree with the kid, and prove I am not a "get off my lawn" old fart, and I couldn't resist.

Now you kids get of my lawn.

Where the hell is PH anyway? He was always getting on my lawn lol.

Hey PH congratulations on completing your course work. (A little birdie told me that.)

Well, I may have stopped two kids from signing on...they were questioning the status quo anyway...


No, no, Mary we want more kids to sign up here.

Well, I may have stopped two kids from signing on...they were questioning the status quo anyway...


No, no, Mary we want more kids to sign up here.


Signing up for the military???

I am with the kid on this one - video games.


The counter recruitment dvd I gave the boys was a "just the facts" tape produced by the Quakers. Talked about the "stories" the recruiters tell, the harassments, the deals they break, and how long one might serve vs. how long they believe they will serve...everything, but dry as a bone. It doesn't tell anyone not to join, it just tells them what the recruiters aren't telling them. The kids said they thought it was going to be much more anti-military, which they were ready to argue, but this has them thinking...

Maybe should have started a new thread with this as it has nothing to do with video games, but with the recruiters in the schools...


Oh I know, CL. I just saw a chance to agree with the kid, and prove I am not a "get off my lawn" old fart, and I couldn't resist.

Now you kids get of my lawn.

Where the hell is PH anyway? He was always getting on my lawn lol.

Hey PH congratulations on completing your course work. (A little birdie told me that.)


The Hypocrite is here. Good this should be fun. HE got axed on DU? Ha, thats some kinda metacommentary..

Give PH a chance. He got axes because he stepped up in support of Mikey... And others. "Stepping up" is a big deal... Rarer than gold.

How goes your recovery? I am headed back, probably in a coupla weeks. We should do some double teaming.

Give PH a chance. He got axes because he stepped up in support of Mikey... And others. "Stepping up" is a big deal... Rarer than gold.

wow that is momentous

I am pretty much recovered since its about the 12 week mark of the infamous "8-12 weeks" (all the sudden I can sympathize with those athletes who make you groan "injured again?!")

17% unemployment in Spain is the number I saw incidentally..I suppose its like here, where the bad news numbers are as deflated as the economy?

PH has been speaking out strongly for organized Labor, and has had my back many times recently.

PH has been speaking out strongly for organized Labor, and has had my back many times recently.


sounds like he earned his "recruitment here"!!

We could do worse. At least PH isn't brain dead like the bulk of them at that "other" site. Besides, it will be fun to see Chlamor's reaction.