Former White Supremacist leader confirms groups using multiplayer gaming to recruit young people

[MattWilsonCSS]

And you completely miss the other point. These sorry ass kids could be saved if they were treated as humans. Violence breeds violence, be it physical or other kind. You seem to be unable to feel empathy towards other people. That is not good, but it is a symptom of our times.


EDIT. I can't be alone in feeling that showing empathy and good will is better than violence? Or am I?

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I may have just misunderstood you. I am in the 'punch nazis' camp, but not the 'punch everyone' camp.

I think the main thing to do in multiplayer games is that if you see bad behavior, call it out. And if you encounter people who are new at the game (and possibly vulnerable to harassment), be a buddy. I have no real advice on breaking up a racist terror recruitment group, but people can at least do their best to police the community and servers that they're a part of. This can help to make servers more welcoming and inclusive.

I wish that there were more games that allowed for private servers because another thing to try and reach out to people going through tough times or in need of mental help is to start your own server and provide a safe haven where the people are helpful and friendly. Create the kind of environment where the alt-right can't sneak in and fester. The next best solution here would be to start a Discord.

 

[TheZodiacAge]

Ah i remember the good old World of Warcraft days when there were news about how ISIS is recruiting people there and is using it as a communication tool.

I mean come on guys
You really think these groups don't use all possible ways?Its not just bald white Nazis - Its every kind of group that tries to strenghten their numbers.

So now, gaming has inadvertently become a tool for the alt-right and neo-nazi.

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Yeah now...

 

[Khanimus]

Nah, more like "everyone preys on the kids". That is hardly any "both sides bullshit". I don't really appreciate the brainwashing that is done to kids. Kids are capable to do their own thinking if they are let to.


And you completely miss the other point. These sorry ass kids could be saved if they were treated as humans. Violence breeds violence, be it physical or other kind. You seem to be unable to feel empathy towards other people. That is not good, but it is a symptom of our times.


EDIT. I can't be alone in feeling that showing empathy and good will is better than violence? Or am I?

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I'm gonna go hug a Nazi and say "don't worry, I understand..."

I'm sure that will go real fucking well for me, just as it has gone well for everyone else they have killed, damaged, and oppressed.

 

[okayfrog]

I'm gonna go hug a Nazi and say "don't worry, I understand..."

I'm sure that will go real fucking well for me, just as it has gone well for everyone else they have killed, damaged, and oppressed.

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I think he was referring to the kids being turned into Nazis rather than the Nazis doing the recruiting.

 

[Deleted member 11413]

Recruiting people from depression and mental health forums. What the fuck.

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They are looking for vulnerable people to warp and twist with their ideology, because vulnerable people are the most susceptible to it

 

[ManUtd]

Everybody throws around the word nazi, do you really understand the meaning of that word and that ideology?

 

[Deleted member 41271]

These sorry ass kids could be saved if they were treated as humans.

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They are treated as humans. Literally as more human than anyone else in the country.

Absolutely nobody is shutting them out of anything. All they have to do is not attack others, all they have to do is stop expecting women to put out for them like women are meat on a market. That's literally all. What compassion were they denied?

Why is asking the absolute minimum - basic respect for others - of them too much?

Everybody throws around the word nazi, do you really understand the meaning of that word and that ideology?

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Please explain why people that make Hitler salutes, advocate white supremacy, wish death on GLBT people, enforce racist policies, and want brown children in cages, are not nazis.

As someone whose grandfather was a legit nazi general, and thus is well aware of what a nazi is, I am quite curious how such a person would not be a nazi.

 

[Staf]

Extremists groups preys on the weak and exposed. Christian Picciolini really is a force for good, nowadays, and i hope he succeeds in helping as many young people as possible. Had a childhood friend who was lured into a extremist group here in Sweden about 15 years ago. Me and his mates tried to do something about it but we failed. He is now in jail.

Edit: By the way, people really should watch his TED talk, it's great!

 

[DorkLord54]

White supremacists did this with 4chan and Reddit, not surprising they're doing it with videogames too.

Everybody throws around the word nazi, do you really understand the meaning of that word and that ideology?

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This is from an AMA with an ex-Neo Nazi, so in this case we're talking about literal Nazis.

 

[Cap G]

Wow. Fortnite, Minecraft, Call of Duty? why arent their choices more Nazi friendly?

Everybody throws around the word nazi, do you really understand the meaning of that word and that ideology?

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Nazi is a general pejorative. It doesnt always mean german nazis, and it doesnt always mean white supremacy. In this example ot means both however, as the subject of the AMA calls himself a nazi.

 

[Ohto]

I may have just misunderstood you. I am in the 'punch nazis' camp, but not the 'punch everyone' camp.

I think the main thing to do in multiplayer games is that if you see bad behavior, call it out. And if you encounter people who are new at the game (and possibly vulnerable to harassment), be a buddy. I have no real advice on breaking up a racist terror recruitment group, but people can at least do their best to police the community and servers that they're a part of. This can help to make servers more welcoming and inclusive.

I wish that there were more games that allowed for private servers because another thing to try and reach out to people going through tough times or in need of mental help is to start your own server and provide a safe haven where the people are helpful and friendly. Create the kind of environment where the alt-right can't sneak in and fester. The next best solution here would be to start a Discord.

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Yes. Policing the discussion, kicking out the worst offenders. At least every Battlefield server I've played has done this.

Being nice to others is infectuous. If you are kind and help others and treat them with respect, most likely than not others will do the same. The effect is very easy to see, even in a shithole of a community like WoT. Even though others act like cunts, by acting properly you elevate the community. No point in acting like a twit even though everyone else is doing it.

I think he was referring to the kids being turned into Nazis rather than the Nazis doing the recruiting.

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This. But goes to show that it is easier to be aggressive and treat everyone as a threat. And some wonder why we don't learn from history?

 

[RevenantAxe]

Sigh. Instead of arguing and blaming each other. We should figure out a way to protect our children and young gamers from getting influenced from such people .. Strict monitoring is required over kids when they playing games.

You guys are quick to trash and blame people but no one try to think about solutions .

 

[travisbickle]

People have to realise Nationalism is baby's-first-political-ideology. In America you literally stand up, face the flag and quote the anthem daily. You have a national armed force that goes around the world murdering people and the manufacture of the army's weapons, admin for its wars are the largest employer in the US.

USA kids are practically one step removed form white nationalism/extremism by the time they're 13/14, add sitting at home all day reading forums, playing computer games with toxicity to the mix and you have a lot of young people tipping over because they perceive their US identity under attack.

 

[Zelda]

It happens on 4chan so of course it happens in online games.

 

[Khanimus]

This. But goes to show that it is easier to be aggressive and treat everyone as a threat. And some wonder why we don't learn from history?

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You seriously trying to turn this around on people who have zero fucking patience for nazis?

 

[medyej]

I've been around online gaming communities for a long time, and I've definitely seen this movement taking place and seen the change within the gaming community in general as time has passed. It usually starts with people testing the waters with 'edgy' racist or homophobic humor and then the cries of political correctness or 'SJW' for not putting up with that bullshit, and uniting under some feeling of persecution. Before you know it you have groups of people who are just straight up racists.

I've always thought and still do that a tightly moderated community that doesn't allow that first step and tells people from the get go what is ok and what is not is the best way to fight against this. It's been sad watching the communities I was once part of be taken over by this shit.

 

[StaffyManasse]

On topic of extremists using video games as a recruiting tool:

I remember an encounter I had when playing Battlefield 4 back in the day. I was flipping through servers looking for a fun one to play in (don't remember if I was looking for particular game mode or maps at the time, doesn't matter). I ended up in what I know understand what some kind of extremist Islamist server. The loading screen had their message quite loud and clear. I didn't spend much time on that server.

I remember thinking "oh, so this is a thing" and on a hindsight maybe I should have done something about it, like report.

 

[JahIthBer]

It happens on 4chan so of course it happens in online games.

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The thing is the Media acts like it's only 4chan or sometimes Reddit. Outside of /r/politics Reddit can be pretty bad though.

 

[Ploid 6.0]

Reminds me of an ownagepranks video where a old racist dude was pranked by a multiplayer buddy of his (young guy). After the prank they all laughed and it seemed as if he wasn't a crappy racist.

 

[Deleted member 21709]

This shit is unreal.

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It is real

 

[Bung Hole]

Not until they attack the financial sectors of the world, until then they are old men and women shouting at clouds :P




Very true, but these stories might go unheard of or straight up ignored, because individuals feel it doesn't effect them or they haven't encountered a similar experience.

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Yeah. Still sucks what they trying to do to the younger generation in trying to let the kids carry on their hateful legacy. Oh well, this planet is fucked up anyway. I imaging it being like cleaning a filthy warehouse with a toothbrush.There's just too much shit everywhere.

 

[Sailent]

Shocking.

 

[Vela]

It probably would've helped things if the games industry hadn't made an almost all-White all-male space in video games culture with the games and the marketing they've produced.

 

[MatrixMan.exe]

When you consider that Jew and Nigger are both commonly used as insults freely when playing online as well, this should surprise no one. Disgusting.

 

[Braag]

Honestly, this is not unlike how groups like ISIS reqruit people. Promising a "paradise" to the less than fortunate people.

Ironically they have more in common with these terrorist groups than they think

 

[SantaC]

Most gamers are trash humans.

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What the hell is this?

 

[rochellepaws]

It probably would've helped things if the games industry hadn't made an almost all-White all-male space in video games culture with the games and the marketing they've produced.

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This only seems to affect certain kinds of games, mostly competitive shooting games which tend to naturally attract an aggressive, right wing leaning audience anyway. People seem very reluctant to talk about the characteristics of the sort of games that attract the most toxic behaviour, it definitely isn't present in all online games.

 

[Unclebenny]

I'd be interested to understand what he meant by "drop benign hints".

Is that just being casually racist, seeing who joins in then winding them up from there?

The fact that the gaming space allows for "benign" racism ti exist is a damning indictment in of itself.

 

[ManUtd]

White supremacists did this with 4chan and Reddit, not surprising they're doing it with videogames too.

This is from an AMA with an ex-Neo Nazi, so in this case we're talking about literal Nazis.

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Im not really debating this, but some comments are really strange. Everything is nazi, I don't really get that.

Even though someone is openly calling himself a neo-nazi he's more probable to be a facist.

 

[Chettlar]

I'm gonna go hug a Nazi and say "don't worry, I understand..."

I'm sure that will go real fucking well for me, just as it has gone well for everyone else they have killed, damaged, and oppressed.

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This is about the kids who are vulnerable and get turned into Nazis. They aren't Nazis when they are born. Nor are they Nazis when they enter their teen years. Just as Nazis have the ability to affect these kids, so do we. And when they are being more inviting then we are, well, how damn worthless are we?

I'm so tired of this "well fuck Nazis" I mean like, yeah dude. Of course. Fuck Nazis. But that attitude will never fix anything if all we care about is condemning Nazis, while just blindly letting new ones pour in. Why not, ya know, address the reasons these kids are becoming Nazis, cuz ya know, we don't want them to be a thing? You are literally yelling at the water of a flooding ship and articulating just how bad you think it is, all while more water just comes pouring in, sinking your damn ship.

I am so tired of this just, talk and no action. Just dunk on Nazis on twitter. Great. Cool. Wonderful. But the moment we start seeing symptoms of that kind of ideology spring up in young people, why on earth is our first reaction to go "NO YOU'RE WRONG AND YOU'RE A BAD PERSON!"? You will. not. affect. change. that. way.

"Oh so you just want us to say 'Yeah that's right. Be racist. That's fine.'?"

No. No no no.

Like, why is it so hard to understand that you can empathize with someone whilst simultaneously not standing for the bad stuff that they are tending towards?

When you meet an alcoholic who wants to go clean, do you tell them "YOU'RE A BAD PERSON. YOU ARE HURTING PEOPLE?" No. No you do not. It will not work. Trust me. It will not work. It does not. Any person in rehab will tell you that does not work. You tell them that eventually, but first you start by understanding their motivations for consuming alcohol. Then you help them see the mistake. You do that after. No one will ever leave the thing that is unhealthy for them and those around them until you help address the things that got them there in the first place. I am not saying to let the alcoholic keep drinking here, but I'm also saying to not just tell them they are bad and hopeless and you hope they die. Neither works. Ever.

I am extremely well acquainted with that process. If you tell someone they are bad they immediately shut down. You might be right, but you are not being helpful. You are not doing anything useful. And if you don't care to do anything useful, then I refuse to believe you actually care about anything more than sounding very righteous and smart.

I am not saying be like Boogie. Boogie's problem is he tries to make both sides legitimate, instead of taking a hard stance. Don't be like Boogie. Don't try to please everyone.

You can take a firm stance without alienating people. I do not give a damn about how righteous you are.

Again I feel like I'm insane because like, I want to see change, but no one else does. They just want to feel right. They just want to do the easy thing: say how bad Nazis are. Nevermind actually, ya know, helping the kids before the Nazis get to em.

This damn obsession with vengeance will not fix anything. I have yet to seen one single example of it working.

 

[Chettlar]

I'd be interested to understand what he meant by "drop benign hints".

Is that just being casually racist, seeing who joins in then winding them up from there?

The fact that the gaming space allows for "benign" racism ti exist is a damning indictment in of itself.

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Yes, that's exactly what it is. It's peer pressure. One thing that always shocks me when I hear reactions to these kinds of stories is the shock itself that I see. It reminds me of how my parents don't actually believe me when I tell them everyone swears at work. Yes. They are surprised by that.

Growing up around that kind of person, which is really just kind of, everywhere in your typical suburbia teenage world, if you ever think about calling this kind of stuff out, you're going to get ridiculed. I learned that early on. I was a goody two-shoes kid. Never grew up around any kind of racism and the sexism I did encounter was pretty benign. Once I started really hanging out with other kids more instead of being such a shut in like I had been before, it started becoming so easy to laugh at racist jokes and forget how horrible they were. I didn't want to be a prude. I wanted to be included. Yeah yeah I know, the tried and true old story about how I didn't feel loved by my parents and needed to be accepted so that I could feel worthwhile as a human being. But I mean, it's a universal need. And people will find solutions for that wherever it first greets them, not limited to but especially in middle/high school.

Eventually I started to grow out of that. I met better friends, including some who were victims of racism and sexism and other isms and phobias. More importantly I had some friends who had been where I was and started leading me out of it. The further I got away from that drivel, the more clear it was the path I had been heading down.

It's so weird because it feels like I'm talking about substance abuse of some kind, but this kind of thinking is so poisonous, and it's really really tough to point out how subtle it is early on. The group you hang out with will so dramatically affect who you are that it is really weird. I have many...okay conservative friends that, when I have on occasion hung out with, my brain almost hurts because it's like it's trying to switch back into that mode, which of course makes me disgusted.

The thing is I have an immense amount of self awareness about this kind of thing, and I want to, and have, helped to kind of lead some of my peers away from that kind of thinking, but I can't save everyone, man.

It just frustrates me to no end when people don't seem to actually want to do something. It frustrates me too because I know how much the negative comments and dunking I saw from the left and still see today is one of the main reasons it took me so long to get out of that awful mindset.

 

[WillyFive]

i used to see them a lot on Battlefield 1.

 

[Skronk]

lol what is "paradise"?

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I'll give you a hint, everything is the same color.

 

[Red]

I thought this was obvious for anyone who spent at least an hour or two gaming online since around the launch of XBL.

I remember playing PSO and running into open white supremacists. Halo 2 and Rainbow Six 3 had many people openly encouraging white supremacy. And then there was Uno on Xbox 360...

The prevalence of racism and discrimination in multiplayer gaming is one of the reasons I stopped playing online.

In PSO specifically, one guy cordially offer to meet me in person and explain to me why white supremacy was the right path to take. He was very polite to me even when I explained I wasn't into that kind of thing. We played online few times, and I remember thinking he was doing it as a joke, until it became clear he wasn't.

 

[boris_feinbrand]

recruiting children and the mentally ill...

focus on infiltrating systems like military and police

these guys know what the fuck they're doing, and it's Evil.

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The biggest mistake the left across the globe has committed in the last few decades is to think that every racist has to be stupid or ignorant. The delusion that intelligence has any bearing on ideology is baffling and has allowed these assholes to recruit and build up strong cells all over the world.
And what has the left done to fight them? Pretend that they are just stupid, remnants of an ignorant past that will die out with the next generation. Falling prey to the idiotic idea that progress is inevitable instead of a hard earned and constantly challenged path.

These tactics are old as hell. They always prey on those who feel lost in society, who want to belong and feel a sense of entitlement. In this case it's race, in other cases it's religion.

We ignored this shit way too long by lulling ourselves in the moronic idea that being left automatically means being more intelligent and thus superior. I can actually account for a lot of people that were driven right into the Neo Nazi arms because of this fucking mindset of villifying everyone not 100% on board with the program.

You catch mice with cheese and unlike the left all around the world, the Nazis have understood that simple fact all too well.

 

[Chettlar]

The biggest mistake the left across the globe has committed in the last few decades is to think that every racist has to be stupid or ignorant. The delusion that intelligence has any bearing on ideology is baffling and has allowed these assholes to recruit and build up strong cells all over the world.
And what has the left done to fight them? Pretend that they are just stupid, remnants of an ignorant past that will die out with the next generation. Falling prey to the idiotic idea that progress is inevitable instead of a hard earned and constantly challenged path.

These tactics are old as hell. They always prey on those who feel lost in society, who want to belong and feel a sense of entitlement. In this case it's race, in other cases it's religion.

We ignored this shit way too long by lulling ourselves in the moronic idea that being left automatically means being more intelligent and thus superior. I can actually account for a lot of people that were driven right into the Neo Nazi arms because of this fucking mindset of villifying everyone not 100% on board with the program.

You catch mice with cheese and unlike the left all around the world, the Nazis have understood that simple fact all too well.

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I have never wanted to say "preach!" more loudly in my life.

If you're on the left man that just means that you are automatically smart and clever. It means everything you do is right. It means every tactic for your cause is good and effective. It means everyone who opposes you is stupid and dangerous but not too dangerous because you will vanquish them in the end. Aren't you so good! Aren't you so smart! Good for you for being on the left! Here's your good person card! Congratulationssss! Now good send "them" another scathing tweet you genius you.

I'm so sick of it. Get up and do something about it.

 

[boris_feinbrand]

I have never wanted to say "preach!" more loudly in my life.

If you're on the left man that just means that you are automatically smart and clever. It means everything you do is right. It means every tactic for your cause is good and effective. It means everyone who opposes you is stupid and dangerous but not too dangerous because you will vanquish them in the end. Aren't you so good! Aren't you so smart! Good for you for being on the left! Here's your good person card! Congratulationssss! Now good send "them" another scathing tweet you genius you.

I'm so sick of it. Get up and do something about it.

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Just to be clear. I was exactly like that in my early 20s. It's a nice delusion. It a solves you from second guessing yourself, since you're on the right side of history.
It actually took a few close friends being driven away by this shit and being embraced by the far right that didn't constantly tell them what horrible human beings they are.

And I can already see the shitstorm coming: "oh they must've been racist before hurt Durr!"
No. Stop for one fucking second and get out of your wonky ivory tower and face reality that people change and that making someone feel welcome is more effective than stylizing yourself into some sort of tragic figure that has to lead the mindless masses as a benevolent and wise guide.

The good news is: these dangerous people can be stopped. Can you convert them? Maybe not all of them, but what you can do is to deny them the fertile ground from which they recruit new members.

 

[Slimboy Fat]

This problem is so bad in Eastern Europe where democracy isn't as consolidated. I almost feel nostalgic for someone like Yiannopoulos when I look at the situation in Hungary or Serbia.

Also to all those who stop playing online because of this: very understandable but you are forfeiting ground to these people. It could mean a lot for a young kid to just hear someone call these people out and not letting them place a seed inside their heads uncontested.

 

[ultra bawl]

Hell, look at controversial threads about women and minorities on ResetEra/OldGAF. They lure you in with "just asking questions" rhetoric.

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This tea from the first page still tastes really good.

 

[excelsiorlef]

Page 3 and we're already blaming the left I see.

Can't imagine why video games are such a fruitful ground at all.

 

[Deleted member 37928]

Where do you live?

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In Umeå, Sweden.

 

[Khanimus]

This is about the kids who are vulnerable and get turned into Nazis. They aren't Nazis when they are born. Nor are they Nazis when they enter their teen years. Just as Nazis have the ability to affect these kids, so do we. And when they are being more inviting then we are, well, how damn worthless are we?

I'm so tired of this "well fuck Nazis" I mean like, yeah dude. Of course. Fuck Nazis. But that attitude will never fix anything if all we care about is condemning Nazis, while just blindly letting new ones pour in. Why not, ya know, address the reasons these kids are becoming Nazis, cuz ya know, we don't want them to be a thing? You are literally yelling at the water of a flooding ship and articulating just how bad you think it is, all while more water just comes pouring in, sinking your damn ship.

I am so tired of this just, talk and no action. Just dunk on Nazis on twitter. Great. Cool. Wonderful. But the moment we start seeing symptoms of that kind of ideology spring up in young people, why on earth is our first reaction to go "NO YOU'RE WRONG AND YOU'RE A BAD PERSON!"? You will. not. affect. change. that. way.

"Oh so you just want us to say 'Yeah that's right. Be racist. That's fine.'?"

No. No no no.

Like, why is it so hard to understand that you can empathize with someone whilst simultaneously not standing for the bad stuff that they are tending towards?

When you meet an alcoholic who wants to go clean, do you tell them "YOU'RE A BAD PERSON. YOU ARE HURTING PEOPLE?" No. No you do not. It will not work. Trust me. It will not work. It does not. Any person in rehab will tell you that does not work. You tell them that eventually, but first you start by understanding their motivations for consuming alcohol. Then you help them see the mistake. You do that after. No one will ever leave the thing that is unhealthy for them and those around them until you help address the things that got them there in the first place. I am not saying to let the alcoholic keep drinking here, but I'm also saying to not just tell them they are bad and hopeless and you hope they die. Neither works. Ever.

I am extremely well acquainted with that process. If you tell someone they are bad they immediately shut down. You might be right, but you are not being helpful. You are not doing anything useful. And if you don't care to do anything useful, then I refuse to believe you actually care about anything more than sounding very righteous and smart.

I am not saying be like Boogie. Boogie's problem is he tries to make both sides legitimate, instead of taking a hard stance. Don't be like Boogie. Don't try to please everyone.

You can take a firm stance without alienating people. I do not give a damn about how righteous you are.

Again I feel like I'm insane because like, I want to see change, but no one else does. They just want to feel right. They just want to do the easy thing: say how bad Nazis are. Nevermind actually, ya know, helping the kids before the Nazis get to em.

This damn obsession with vengeance will not fix anything. I have yet to seen one single example of it working.

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Well shit, you must be right. It's the left's fault these kids leaned towards Nazism, simply because we didn't throw a more enticing party to celebrate their whiteness, or didn't create an appealing enough scapegoat for which they can project the fault of all their problems onto.

You're right, shit. I'm sorry I wasn't welcoming enough to the people that want me dead, or who would accuse my girlfriend of being a "race traitor", or who would threaten my family or my friends. My bad.

 

[Akira86]

I have never wanted to say "preach!" more loudly in my life.

If you're on the left man that just means that you are automatically smart and clever. It means everything you do is right. It means every tactic for your cause is good and effective. It means everyone who opposes you is stupid and dangerous but not too dangerous because you will vanquish them in the end. Aren't you so good! Aren't you so smart! Good for you for being on the left! Here's your good person card! Congratulationssss! Now good send "them" another scathing tweet you genius you.

I'm so sick of it. Get up and do something about it.

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this is like...crap. it's weird because the left aren't rich elitists like Trump and the GOP who are actually constantly insulting people's intelligence, including their own base. So often we hear about the arrogance and the hatred of the left, but the examples of it are more implied than expressed. But you can turn on the television and see the current powers that be say things that are full of hate and arrogance. I know FOX and other media started saying 'those democrats, those liberal elite, all they do is look down on you" and there have been some major breaks, but there have also been major attempts to communicate too.

Then you have the neonazis preying on the mentally ill and the young and uninformed, and that's put up as "see they know how to get across to people, feed mice with cheese", and anything other than kind words will alienate them.

 

[Chettlar]

Just to be clear. I was exactly like that in my early 20s. It's a nice delusion. It a solves you from second guessing yourself, since you're on the right side of history.
It actually took a few close friends being driven away by this shit and being embraced by the far right that didn't constantly tell them what horrible human beings they are.

And I can already see the shitstorm coming: "oh they must've been racist before hurt Durr!"
No. Stop for one fucking second and get out of your wonky ivory tower and face reality that people change and that making someone feel welcome is more effective than stylizing yourself into some sort of tragic figure that has to lead the mindless masses as a benevolent and wise guide.

The good news is: these dangerous people can be stopped. Can you convert them? Maybe not all of them, but what you can do is to deny them the fertile ground from which they recruit new members.

Click to shrink...

It does give me hope because I have seen some incredibly messed up people turn their lives around, but yeah, it's really rough.

I just hope more people will have that realization.

Page 3 and we're already blaming the left I see.

Can't imagine why video games are such a fruitful ground at all.

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Ah yes criticizing someone's poor handling of a situation is the same as saying it's all their fault. Cool.

Good for you I guess for sitting there and pontificating about how blameless you are and how bad other people you are. I mean, sure, you're probably right. Its not your fault. I don't care. Don't tell me you actually care about this issue if you don't want to even bother doing something about it.

Nothing was ever fixed by people who said "well, it's not my fault!" No shit sherlock.

Well shit, you must be right. It's the left's fault these kids leaned towards Nazism, simply because we didn't throw a more enticing party to celebrate their whiteness, or didn't create an appealing enough scapegoat for which they can project the fault of all their problems onto.

You're right, shit. I'm sorry I wasn't welcoming enough to the people that want me dead, or who would accuse my girlfriend of being a "race traitor", or who would threaten my family or my friends. My bad.

Click to shrink...

When did I say it was the left's fault?

When did I say be nice to Nazis?

 

[Kinsei]

Just to be clear. I was exactly like that in my early 20s. It's a nice delusion. It a solves you from second guessing yourself, since you're on the right side of history.
It actually took a few close friends being driven away by this shit and being embraced by the far right that didn't constantly tell them what horrible human beings they are.

And I can already see the shitstorm coming: "oh they must've been racist before hurt Durr!"
No. Stop for one fucking second and get out of your wonky ivory tower and face reality that people change and that making someone feel welcome is more effective than stylizing yourself into some sort of tragic figure that has to lead the mindless masses as a benevolent and wise guide.

The good news is: these dangerous people can be stopped. Can you convert them? Maybe not all of them, but what you can do is to deny them the fertile ground from which they recruit new members.

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See, if you know someone and you're not part of a group targeted by white supremacists (Minorities have absolutely no obligation to try and maintain a friendship with someone becoming racist) and you see them heading down that path then yeah, you should definitely intervene and try to help them. Now on the internet where you usually see all the justified vitriol for the alt right? Fuck that. Trying to reach out to people harassing them and sending death threats is not something anyone should be expected to do.

 

[Iztok]

I'm not surprised.

Most gamers are trash humans.

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Gamers are dumb edgelords, so I imagine it's not too difficult to recruit them.

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Do you not see a problem with these statements?
Does anyone actually share these sentiments and if so, how in the world do you find this follows at all from anything that's been going on?

 

[Chettlar]

this is like...crap. it's weird because the left aren't rich elitists like Trump and the GOP who are actually constantly insulting people's intelligence, including their own base. So often we hear about the arrogance and the hatred of the left, but the examples of it are more implied than expressed. But you can turn on the television and see the current powers that be say things that are full of hate and arrogance. I know FOX and other media started saying 'those democrats, those liberal elite, all they do is look down on you" and there have been some major breaks, but there have also been major attempts to communicate too.

Then you have the neonazis preying on the mentally ill and the young and uninformed, and that's put up as "see they know how to get across to people, feed mice with cheese", and anything other than kind words will alienate them.

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I'm...not sure what you're saying here.

I'm not saying leftists are all full of hatred, so I don't know where you got that. I'm not saying we should only say nice things to prospective nazis. I'm not sure where you're getting any of what you're saying from my post.

 

[excelsiorlef]

What does show the budding white supremacists compassion and treat them as humans even mean btw?

 

[excelsiorlef]

Ah yes criticizing someone's poor handling of a situation is the same as saying it's all their fault. Cool.

Good for you I guess for sitting there and pontificating about how blameless you are and how bad other people you are. I mean, sure, you're probably right. Its not your fault. I don't care. Don't tell me you actually care about this issue if you don't want to even bother doing something about it.

Nothing was ever fixed by people who said "well, it's not my fault!" No shit sherlock.

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I see so in your opinion I don't actually care about the issue if I'm not willing to admit the left is somewhat responsible?

 

[Chettlar]

I see so in your opinion I don't actually care about the issue if I'm not willing to admit the left is somewhat responsible?

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Quit twisting my words please. Again, I did not say that. Try again.

I literally said, and I quote: "its not your fault."

So explain to me how you got "it's your fault" out of that please?