Ralph Nader: Game companies are "electronic child molesters"

Opty · Jan 23, 2013

Gee, Ralph. Hyperbole much?

In an interview with Politico yesterday, Nader blasted President Obama's gun control package that was unveiled last week. The two-time Green Party presidential candidate said that the president's plan needs to go further in regulating video game creators that add violence to their games.

"Television program violence? Unbelievable. Video game violence? Unprecedented," Nader told Politico. "I'm not saying he wants to censor this, I think he should sensitize people that they should protect their children family by family from these kinds of electronic child molesters."

What a deluded, ignorant fool. He was relevant, and sane, 30 years ago but now he's just a sad joke.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57...eo-game-firms-are-electronic-child-molesters/

Atalanta · Jan 23, 2013

Ralph Nader has been a bright light on the political landscape for a long time, so I'm willing to forgive his sometimes problematic love for catchy phrases.

I'm not sure what kind of regulation he supports, but his call for parents to pay more attention to the games their children play is a good thing. Frankly, I can't even watch the demos for some of those games, they're just too disturbing.

Opty · Jan 23, 2013

Well, his notion that video games are causally linked to violence is mistaken and misinformed.

For him to take an already tenuous position and then add the outlandish diatribe where he calls video game companies "child molesters" is absurd.

His consumer activism ended roughly 20 years ago and he hasn't done much of note since. He seems nothing more than a full-time curmudgeon now.

kenebaker · Jan 24, 2013

If games influenced us as much as he believes, then all my WoW friends would be running off doing random fetch quests and chasing wolves from the corn fields. #candidatefail

JimmyB27 · Jan 24, 2013

"If Pac-Man had affected us as kids, we'd all be running around in dark rooms, munching pills and listening to repetitive electronic music." - Marcus Brigstocke

Torgo · Jan 24, 2013

JimmyB27 said:
"If Pac-Man had affected us as kids, we'd all be running around in dark rooms, munching pills and listening to repetitive electronic music." - Marcus Brigstocke

Ha, was about to post the same thing. Although I'm not sure it's Brigstocke's joke?

JimmyB27 · Jan 24, 2013

Torgo said:
Ha, was about to post the same thing. Although I'm not sure it's Brigstocke's joke?

According to Wikipedia at least, it is, but is often incorrectly attributed to others.

Torgo · Jan 24, 2013

JimmyB27 said:
According to Wikipedia at least, it is, but is often incorrectly attributed to others.

Oh, crap, including me, then. I first came across it attributed to 'Kristian Wilson' and I probably ought to have smelled a rat. Damn you, attribution decay!

JimmyB27 · Jan 24, 2013

Torgo said:
Oh, crap, including me, then. I first came across it attributed to 'Kristian Wilson' and I probably ought to have smelled a rat. Damn you, attribution decay!

"The trouble with quotes on the Internet is that you can never be sure they are correctly attributed." - Abraham Lincoln

Roger J Carlson · Jan 24, 2013

Atalanta said:
Ralph Nader has been a bright light on the political landscape for a long time, so I'm willing to forgive his sometimes problematic love for catchy phrases.

The bright light has turned into a dim bulb with age. Meh. It happens.

Atalanta · Jan 25, 2013

Opty said:
He seems nothing more than a full-time curmudgeon now.

I'd be set if I could land that job.

Roger J Carlson said:
The bright light has turned into a dim bulb with age. Meh. It happens.

I guess it depends on your perspective. I was privileged to hear him speak a few years ago and he nailed the internal problems of the (American) Green Party so accurately my partner and I gave him a two-person standing ovation.

J.W. Alden · Jan 27, 2013

Ah, video game demonizing: the one thing that brings liberals and conservatives together.

Maxx · Feb 22, 2013

kenebaker said:
If games influenced us as much as he believes, then all my WoW friends would be running off doing random fetch quests and chasing wolves from the corn fields. #candidatefail

There's a rumor that this is exactly what happened to Pope Benedict XVI. Some kind of video game thing.

Ralph Nader: Game companies are "electronic child molesters"

Opty

Atalanta

Bring me a knitting needle.

Opty

kenebaker

Master of Meh!

JimmyB27

Hoopy frood

Torgo

Formerly Phantom of Krankor.

JimmyB27

Hoopy frood

Torgo

Formerly Phantom of Krankor.

JimmyB27

Hoopy frood

Roger J Carlson

Moderator In Name Only

Atalanta

Bring me a knitting needle.

J.W. Alden

The King Who Bore the Sword

Maxx

Got the hang of it, here