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[The_Hitcher89]

Banning Nazi memes too? Is Israel becoming the next GAF?...

Does that mean Halt! Hammerzeit! is banned on here?

 

[Maleficence]

You have no excuse. Watch this NOW (free on AlJazeera)

Part 1 and 2

Excellent stuff.

 

[Rocket Scientist]

Sooner or later they'll have to stop backing down and take away some of the ridiculous exemptions. A whole country of people who do nothing but study religion is asking for trouble.

I wonder how these ultra orthodox people live in other countries. There were some news reports concerning incidents in New York City in neighborhoods with predominantly orthodox jews. I can't imagine that all they do is not work and just study all day. If they can take care of themselves, why can't those in Israel... The existence of such a large group of people who do nothing and expect handouts in Israel is pretty confusing. Don't understand why the Israëli government thought it'd be a good idea.

 

[Lunchbox]

Go outside and wear that on a t-shirt.

in israel

 

[sankt-Antonio]

Games aren't consider art (sorry, guys) and the Bundesprüfstelle für Jugendgefährdende Schriften, an agency tasked to check media for damaging influences on children has a hard-on for games in general and is quick to put them on its index. Indexed media cannot be publically displayed, advertised or sold to people under 18 and age checks are pretty strictly enforced. This is different from a 18+ rating, which can be displayed openly. As a result it's not easy to sell games/movies/magazines that are indexed, people would have to come in and ask for them. No ads. Yeah, financial suicide in most cases and many stores won't stock most or all indexed stuff.

So they basically tell publishers "If you have this nazi crap in your games, we will index it, you monsters."

Same goes for violence, here movies are also cracked down on. That's the reason for most of the self-censorship here.

Holocaust denial is iligal, no matter the context*.

Glorification of the nazi regime (yes, they were an oppressuve dicatorship and not ALL Germans were involved, so I empasise this for their sake), their war crimes, crimes against humabity and their lore is ilegal*.

The use or display of nazi insignia and gestures is ilegal (as well as things as the skull symbol used by the Totenkopf SS or the Germanic S rune, also because of the SS, at least having them next to each other) except for artistic, educational or scientific purposes, since our constitution states that "verfassungsfeindliche Symbole", meaning symbols that attack our constitution or the values it represents (here: dignity/equalizy of all humans) are banned.

For educational purposes you can fly swatikas and do the Hitler salute as much as you want, eg movies showing how bad WW2 and the nazis were can have a swastika flag plastered on every surface available, while the people dancing in swastika formation from The Producers would be more troublesome and some skinheads saluting in the streets is enough to get them busted.

*Remember: The German constitution gives the freedom of expression, NOT free speech. Art, Science and Education are protected on top of that, it's not like we're a Banana Repulic with no freedom just because we're not protecting everyone's right to yell "All niggers like to steal" or "Jews in the oven" or "All German women are ugly, hairy wenches".

Very good post except for the highlighted.
For example: If violence is just a vehicle to solve puzzles (as in GOWIII) everything is fine and dandy - GOWIII was released uncut in Germany. If a Game is violent just to shock people and has no deeper means other than to kill stuff (CoD airport scene), it is getting cut or banned.

 

[Avyrocky]

Love the Finkelstein!

 

[Rapstah]

Very good post except for the highlighted.
For example: If violence is just a vehicle to solve puzzles (as in GOWIII) everything is fine and dandy - GOWIII was released uncut in Germany. If a Game is violent just to shock people and has no deeper means other than to kill stuff (CoD airport scene), it is getting cut or banned.

Wow, really? GoW 3 was uncut? Where is the line drawn? Why wasn't the Half-Life series uncut if GoW 3 was let through, have the policies changed since the last censored game in that series?

 

[Blackace]

Isnt this exact thing illegal in Germany?

I think it is illegal to deny that the holocaust happened...

 

[Salmonax]

Sounds like something Hitler would do.

Beautiful.

 

[Phantast2k]

Go outside and wear that on a t-shirt.

I'd wear that

Spoiler

in India/China

.

 

[rdrr gnr]

Tinyeye reverse search to the rescue! I hadn't read anything from him before, but i mostly agree with what he says.

Never heard of this guy, but just watched the video of him responding to the teary Jewish girl. Love it, not an easy thing to do either, but he stands for what he believes in. Got to respect that.

You have no excuse. Watch this NOW (free on AlJazeera)

Part 1 and 2

Love the Finkelstein!

I tend not to make threads, but maybe getting some of Finkelstein's messages out there might be of interest.

One must walk a fine line between intellectual honesty and poorly-veiled antisemitism; the internet often feels like the least appropriate platform for such a distinction.

 

[Maleficence]

I tend not to make threads, but maybe getting some of Finkelstein's messages out there might be of interest.

One must walk a fine line between intellectual honesty and poorly-veiled antisemitism; the internet often feels like the least appropriate platform for such a distinction.

I do agree with Chomsky though, the guy really needs to try and tone down his emotional involvement, it's definitely not doing him any favours overall.

 

[Rocket Scientist]

Gaf might not be ready for it.

 

[Kinyou]

Talking about anything WW2 related is pretty taboo in Germany.

lol

I can hardly remember having any discussions that didn't somehow end up in WW2 related stuff.

 

[rdrr gnr]

I do agree with Chomsky though, the guy really needs to try and tone down his emotional involvement, it's definitely not doing him any favours overall.

I concur. I think the plagiarism claim against Dershowitz was pursued with temerity.

Not say that his emotional involvement isn't matched by his opponents -- often with measurably less honesty.

 

[sankt-Antonio]

Wow, really? GoW 3 was uncut? Where is the line drawn? Why wasn't the Half-Life series uncut if GoW 3 was let through, have the policies changed since the last censored game in that series?

Yes.

Well, you do rip of Helios Head, but just moments later you use it as a flashlight to open a secret door => totally fine (rated M of course). The goal was not to kill Helios "just because", but to obtain an item (like most/every(?) humanoid boss in GOWIII). Killing Demons etc. was never a problem.

It is always context driven in videogames - its been a long time since i played HL so i dont know if the killing of people actually gave you something to solve puzzels etc. or if they where just cannon fodder.

 

[ThoseDeafMutes]

Talking about anything WW2 related is pretty taboo in Germany.

I mentioned it once, but I think I got away with it.

 

[thetechkid]

You can categorise the OT in the following subjects that are almost certain to go beyond several pages.

• Religion
• A story involving a woman in a Muslim country
• Race
• Israel
• Republicans
• Woman who has sex with underage male
• Apple
• Girl-age

I may have missed some but generally we have to usually have one of the above at least once a month

You forgot tipping and hygiene.

 

[fawaz]

Went in expecting it to be about how they treat Palestinians.

Kinda surprised they call each other that.

 

[F#A#Oo]

You have no excuse. Watch this NOW (free on AlJazeera)

Part 1 and 2

Thanks for the link.

 

[CaLe]

You have no excuse. Watch this NOW (free on AlJazeera)

Part 1 and 2

Fantastic documentary, thank you.

 

[iidesuyo]

I mentioned it once, but I think I got away with it.

We have it 2012, no one gives a shit anymore, British self-complex was funny in the 80s.

 

[Mael]

Can we do the same?
I mean here we have people comparing plate licking behaviours to Nazi germany for X's sake.

 

[Rocket Scientist]

You have no excuse. Watch this NOW (free on AlJazeera)

Part 1 and 2

Reminds me of a GAF thread not too long ago of people taking a dump on Al Jazeera. So ignorant when you see what kind of incredible content they make.