Re: [Marxism] marxism, video games and youth education

["acpollack2@xxxxxxxx" <acpollack2@xxxxxxxx>]

(I know this is my third post this hour but I'm getting them out of the way 
before turning back to work.)

I LOVED Doug's suggestions. On my blog on computers and socialism 
(http://socialcomp.blogspot.com/) I'd made a similar point in a more clumsy and 
less comprehensive way (under the topic "Making History.")

I think it's definitely worth a group going Bertell Ollman one better and 
starting a game along these lines. In the meantime there's a science fiction 
story waiting to be written about strikers taking over the bosses' databases 
and putting Doug's fantasy into reality...

P.S. Later I'll post on my blog a comment on James Fallows' piece in the Times 
today on electronic voting. The gist is that when the banks WANT to get 
technology right because they have the social interest in doing so, it works 
(and thus paves the way for them to screw us other ways, like with credit card 
fees); and the same is technically true of electronic voting -- it's a question 
of who controls it.
-- Douglas MacDonald <dmacdonald94591@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Lou-  Please Post - Douglas MacDonald, subscriber.

Comrades;

I hope all are well and have a restful Turkey Day.  As a parent with teenage 
children and being one young enough (35) to have played video games a-plenty as 
a youth, it has come to my attention that Marxism has allowed a fundamental 
field of propganda and agitation escape our influence: video games.  As we see 
the televeison networks air widely varied military style and imeperialist 
adventutre games of the silicon type this X-mass season, I ask you to consider 
the potential a slight spin or wiggle in these storiy lines could allow.

Many games, sites and programs become widely popular on the net these days when 
tyey are posted as free dwonloads.  Imagine a downloand/game that involves 
youth (student) joining with workers (both their peers and older workers) in an 
ambitious struggle to overtune society along a Marxist line.  Imagine the 
drama, struggles and planning that would be required.... a cross between Sm 
cCty and Halo2!

For those who are out of the loop....Sim cCty involves the user of this game to 
PLAN the best design for a city and Halo 2 is simply a war story of human VS 
alines.  Although both are overly simplisitic in their structure, both are 
wildlynpopluar and have made millions!  Perhaps I speak too soon without my 
copyright....?


Video games provide entertainment and the opportunity for education, 
particularly because of their unique interactive learning environment and 
because they are CHEAP!  If one were not able to organize enough of a 
resistence, convert enough of the populace to a majority sympathertc with 
socialism, then a revolutionary opportunity would appear as a putch and 
fail...GAME OVER.  However, should ther hero/heroine bring enough 
labor/community/citizen associations together with their friends and neighbors, 
then they collectively could withstand the counter-attack of the bourgeoisie.  
Moreover, sociailst planning could test its mettle in both pre and 
post-revolutionary times in thousands of different situations.

Ah....how a little wine can go to ones head.  Happy holidays.

-Douglas Macdonald


                
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