Lt Col Dave Grossman's Assassination Generation

[CmdrShep2183]

Lt Col Dave Grossman has released a new book.

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/415kUjpsDPL._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

Please give it one star.

[Razade]

Lt Col Dave Grossman has released a new book.

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/415kUjpsDPL._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

Please give it one star.

Alright, I think this confirms the long running theory about just what the good Commander is.

[Kitten Champion]

Alright, I think this confirms the long running theory about just what the good Commander is.

He was Tyler Durden all along!

[Brother Oni]

I've heard the colonel described glowingly as 'a REMF officer with zero combat experience who shouldn't be allowed to write on an etch a sketch, let alone publish'.

Other comments were less complimentary and far less GitP safe.

[otakuryoga]

by the subtitle i am guessing he is one of these "vidya games make all our mush minded youths into mind-dead killers" types?

[Haruspex_Pariah]

I'd have to read it before giving it a rating.

But in general? It's a tragic rehash of people going after music, movies, comics, books, etc as the "smoking gun" for bad things happening in the world. I have a book in my house that speaks of the unspeakable horrors Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (the 1987 animated series!) will do to the character of the youths watching it. I sincerely hope this nonsense will end, but it probably won't.

[Murk]

But in general? It's a tragic rehash of people going after music, movies, comics, books, etc as the "smoking gun" for bad things happening in the world. I have a book in my house that speaks of the unspeakable horrors Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (the 1987 animated series!) will do to the character of the youths watching it. I sincerely hope this nonsense will end, but it probably won't.

Eh, there's probably some truth in it, just taken way too much to the extreme. Popular culture does teach us that some problems can be solved with violence and that bravery, honor, glory (and being "bad ass") are good things.
I completely disagree with saying that's a "generational" thing, though, since the popular culture has become less and less violent and warlike over the past few millennia.

[Haruspex_Pariah]

Eh, there's probably some truth in it, just taken way too much to the extreme. Popular culture does teach us that some problems can be solved with violence and that bravery, honor, glory (and being "bad ass") are good things.
I completely disagree with saying that's a "generational" thing, though, since the popular culture has become less and less violent and warlike over the past few millennia.

See, I have no problem accepting or discussing the statement you have made here. Violence-based problem solving is unfortunately common in fiction, and as history tells us, in real life as well. Trying to pin the blame for the freaking human condition on a specific category of entertainment is a plan wrought with flaws.

But the people who seek to pin the blame for bad things happening on popular entertainment often either make things up wholesale, selectively filter the available data, or depend on questionable research methodology. The tone also tends to be very alarmist, very "if you're a good parent you should be scared of this and also buy my books" kind of approach.

I honestly would not mind a serious, credible attempt to reduce violence in the world or at least understand why there's so much of it. Witch hunting popular media is not going to cut it, but it just keeps happening.

[Brother Oni]

I completely disagree with saying that's a "generational" thing, though, since the popular culture has become less and less violent and warlike over the past few millennia.

That said, there has been some anecdotal reports that training new soldiers out of the aversion to killing has become easier since WW2. Whether this is due to popular culture or improved training methods is not clear, just that it's easier to get new recruits to shoot accurately at a Figure 11/12 target (or equivalent) on the range.

[Chen]

Without reading the book I can't know for sure but if you look at the authors articles it does seem to be going on about how violent video games (and media) are the cause of criminal violence.

It seems to be a deliberate mis-reading of the APA's statement that violent video games (and other media) can lead to increased aggression responses. That said the statement also seems to explicitly say there's no enough evidence to show that this will actually lead to criminality. Conflating those two points is the problem.

[BeerMug Paladin]

I'd have to read it before giving it a rating.

But in general? It's a tragic rehash of people going after music, movies, comics, books, etc as the "smoking gun" for bad things happening in the world. I have a book in my house that speaks of the unspeakable horrors Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (the 1987 animated series!) will do to the character of the youths watching it. I sincerely hope this nonsense will end, but it probably won't.

The general idea is going to exist forever. If VR ever becomes a thing, expect certain folks to insist that normal videogames are fine, but VR videogames cause problems because of "realness".

People will worry about the media being consumed because, up to a point, media reflects who we are, and what we desire to become. A basic concern over our identity and our shared future is going to be eternal. Sometimes, people expressing a certain anxiety just don't know how to effectively communicate that anxiety so they make irrational connections to overstate the certitude of their own view. But the underlying anxiety is not without some merit.

I'd agree on not giving it a rating until it is read.

[Flickerdart]

Alright, I think this confirms the long running theory about just what the good Commander is.

There was literally never any doubt.