Is a Video Game Fueling the London Riots?
Christine Lusey
2011/08/09 19:00:00
|
|
|||||
|
69 votes
|
|
15% | |||
|
365 votes
|
|
80% | |||
|
23 votes
|
|
5% | |||
Well, that didn’t last long.
Video games have had a pretty good run of positive press, lately. Then came the London riots. Now, let the gaming controversy begin.
London has seen major civil unrest following the fatal police shooting of a resident late last week. Rioting, vandalism, arson and looting continue to plague the city.
It’s been suggested that the poor economy and a high unemployment rate fueled some of the anger, but the London Evening Standard has another take: the rioters were simply acting out what they’d seen in the game Grand Theft Auto.
GTA, a popular, long-running series that lets the player take on the role of a criminal, often features adult content and violence.
From the original article:
"Children aged between 10 and 14, said to have been inspired by video game Grand Theft Auto, were seen rampaging through Enfield and Brixton as riots and looting also spread to Dalston and Fulham."
The paper quotes a police officer and a local resident, both of whom told reporters they thought GTA contributed to the mayhem.
However, as the gaming site Computer and Video Games notes, “the Grand Theft Auto series has never featured any form of interactive looting or rioting."
Video games have had a pretty good run of positive press, lately. Then came the London riots. Now, let the gaming controversy begin.
London has seen major civil unrest following the fatal police shooting of a resident late last week. Rioting, vandalism, arson and looting continue to plague the city.
It’s been suggested that the poor economy and a high unemployment rate fueled some of the anger, but the London Evening Standard has another take: the rioters were simply acting out what they’d seen in the game Grand Theft Auto.
GTA, a popular, long-running series that lets the player take on the role of a criminal, often features adult content and violence.
From the original article:
"Children aged between 10 and 14, said to have been inspired by video game Grand Theft Auto, were seen rampaging through Enfield and Brixton as riots and looting also spread to Dalston and Fulham."
The paper quotes a police officer and a local resident, both of whom told reporters they thought GTA contributed to the mayhem.
However, as the gaming site Computer and Video Games notes, “the Grand Theft Auto series has never featured any form of interactive looting or rioting."
Top Opinion
-
Scott ヶBrony Of PHAETヶ 2011/08/09 19:05:51
I read that the Monday edition of the Daily Fkn Fail 'blamed' GTA, and lambasted the BBC and liberal MPs.
(Before you ask, it was my mum's copy: I never buy it myself).
Yeah let's blame people's actions on some THING, rather than make people take responsibility for their own actions.
I've played GTA tons and I've never gone out and thought "You know, I should totally just go rob this place..."
America is on the brink as well. Only a momentous change in our own political system, back to Constitutional basics, can save us from a similar fate.
Otherwise, why do we have LESS THAN 60% of eligible workers employed, when corporate and extremely wealthy people are enjoying the best profit in many, many years -- often record profits. They should be producing jobs if Capitalism was working -- it isn't
Regards,
Reyn
Yes and no. Capitalism, if kept honest, (which it isn't at present), can, and has provided the surplus monies needed to fund many worthy social programs in the past.
Unfortunately, capitalism is presently driven by unrestrained greed, and the government is complicit due to corruption. Legislation, approved of by both political parties, has been bought and paid for allowing most of our present global dilemma.
Where Socialism has failed is that government has created a 'nanny state' mentality, where people expect everything to be provided for them by the government.
The explosion of social programs has become so costly, and the number of beneicaries increased so rapidly, that there aren't enough tax dollars or people with jobs to carry the load anymore.
BTW, maybe I like my panties in a twist...........Regards right back at you! FPS
As for "Grand Theft Auto" being the cause of the rioting, that's just ludicrous. I don't think folks need to be taught how to loot and riot. Of course, GTA is a video game in which killing police, pedestrians and hookers means points! Seriously, my son grew up playing games like GTA and listening to heavy metal music, and he hasn't gone off the deep end yet.
Do matches an arsonist make? Perhaps, to be safe, we should outlaw all forms of fire.
But, if the 'powers that be' admitted that, they would actually have to face the real problem............them.
The 'other' factors are what society has to identify and deal with.
Good post man.
Socialism is a wolf dressed in sheeps clothing because it appeals to our concern for the welfare of others, but it depends on the resources of still others.
There has to come a point when we stop 'giving' the fish, and teach the needy 'how to fish'.