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Apple pulls everything w/ Confederate Flag from App Store including Civil War games

Ysiadmihi

Banned
Don't be stupid. This forum has plenty of 2015 liberals and NONE of them are saying that this move is right. So you're pretty much talking bullshit by making this a "liberal" thing.

I'm sure there ARE some liberals here who are happy about this, but I agree. This has to do with suffocating political correctness and outrage culture.
 
That's because it was easy to ignore all the people pointing out the history of the flag, the type of people that usually have toggles flags and what it generally represents before this. Saying people didn't care was a terrible choice of words.

I understand it was a poor choice of words. That's why I wanted to clarify.

I actually think you are really badly missing the point

How so?
 

KHlover

Banned
Welcome to 1995 Germany and all those edits in games.

Nah 1995 levels of censorship aren't reached yet. Nazi flags are censored to this day, that has not changed.

1995 level is taking ALL human units out of the game and replacing them by roboters, regardless of faction. We're not talking about an Ego-Shooter or something here (of course it also happened in those), we're talking RTS where a unit sprite(!) barely had enough pixels to make out what it was supposed to be.

Command and Conquer as a series certainly didn't have it easy here :)
 
no hard feelings either way about this. it isn't like kids won't learn about the civil war in school. idk, I wouldn't really care if the flag just disappeared. I know censorship and such but I can't think of a time where having the flag being shown or even swastikas has deepened the impact of a title or anything noteworthy. It was kinda just there to paint good vs bad.
It's not just a matter of "good vs bad" but historical accuracy. Ever play a nazi game without swastikas? It just looks silly.

Also there's the whole matter of sweeping things under a rug. People should never, ever forget the atrocities the human race can commit. These things need to be shown, not as a symbol of extremist pride but one of shame, people need to be reminded this kind of shit can never happen again.
 

SDCowboy

Member
I'm sorry, but I just can't stand the level of attempted political correctness here in the US anymore. It is long past the point of absurdity, and is now at a level I couldn't even fathom.
 

oti

Banned
That's dumb. Taking that flag off buildings is fine but censoring/blocking games depicting it is stupid. We have the same thing with Nazi symbols in video games in Germany and it is duuuuuuuuuuumb.
 

PMS341

Member
I grew up in the heart of "redneck culture", witnessing "southern pride" firsthand constantly. If the controversy here is what slowly kills that "culture", then by all means. Duck Dynasty next, please.

That being said, historical games are about HISTORY. This is a bit ridiculous, and more than likely a move that corporations are making only to avoid potential lawsuits.
 

Rembrandt

Banned
It's not just a matter of "good vs bad" but historical accuracy. Ever play a nazi game without swastikas? It just looks silly.

Also there's the whole matter of sweeping things under a rug. People should never, ever forget the atrocities the human race can commit. These things need to be shown, not as a symbol of extremist pride but one of shame, people need to be reminded this kind of shit can never happen again.

No because I don't live in Germany but I bet Germans still have a clear understanding of the atrocities of WWII.
 
Like Paradox does for Hearts of Iron, which doesn't diminish Hearts of Iron at all.

Most games don't use swastikas to represent German forces. Color convention and NATO symbols are really all you need to identify WW2 battle elements.

edit: The real crime is that Apple just shitcanned everything without warning. Most of these developers would have been more than happy to update the apps to purge this shitstain of history on request.
If the mere presence of the swastika or confederate flag in a game glorifies those things then the presence of nazis or confederate soldiers do as well, and should be purged as well, along with any references to locations, dates, etc. Removing a single symbol doesn't purge a game of any possibility of glorifying hate.
 

People have always cared about the confederate flag and wanted it gone. Just because it can't kill people on its own doesn't mean it's not a symbol for racism and hatred that has been so thoroughly ingrained in our society that in large swathes of the country it is seen as perfectly acceptable to fly that flag. So while it is silly to take it out of historical video games, its not silly to remove the flag after a racist murders a bunch of people. In fact it should have been removed for sale and taken down in SC long before this.
 

shandy706

Member
This stuff is getting out of hand.

Absolutely stupid.

(I have no problem with the whole "flag needs to not be flown publicly" thing. Take it down, it means nothing to me. I have ancestors that died on both sides of the Civil War)

This shouldn't cross over into games/movies/shows, etc.
 

thefro

Member
Don't be stupid. This forum has plenty of 2015 liberals and NONE of them are saying that this move is right. So you're pretty much talking bullshit by making this a "liberal" thing.

Yep. State governments shouldn't be flying the Confederate Battle Flag 1) because it's treasonous, and 2) most places like South Carolina put it back up in response to the Civil Rights movement to symbolize their opposition.

People using that flag in an appropriate historical context or in a museum is fine. People have the right to fly it on private property or buy stuff with it but it should carry the same stigma as the Nazi swastika flag. Companies obviously have the right to refuse to sell those items as well. Wal-Mart and NASCAR aren't bastions of liberalism.

Personally I'd be fine with it flying in a cemetery for Confederate soldiers too (although I think a State flag might be more appropriate?)

Apple's move is dumb, wrong, and way too overly broad, although they've acted similarly in the past.

I donated money to Howard Dean and Obama so I think I classify as a "liberal".
 
People have always cared about the confederate flag and wanted it gone. Just because it can't kill people on its own doesn't mean it's not a symbol for racism and hatred that has been so thoroughly ingrained in our society that in large swathes of the country it is seen as perfectly acceptable to fly that flag. So while it is silly to take it out of historical video games, its not silly to remove the flag after a racist murders a bunch of people. In fact it should have been removed for sale and taken down in SC long before this.

Read my follow-up post.
 

Keasar

Member
Okay, I think waving the Confederate flag around today and especially considering the last weeks events is a bit unnecessary.

Going complete kneejerk and removing all American Civil War games because they have that in a historical context? Comeon.
 

cackhyena

Member
People have always cared about the confederate flag and wanted it gone. Just because it can't kill people on its own doesn't mean it's not a symbol for racism and hatred that has been so thoroughly ingrained in our society that in large swathes of the country it is seen as perfectly acceptable to fly that flag. So while it is silly to take it out of historical video games, its not silly to remove the flag after a racist murders a bunch of people. In fact it should have been removed for sale and taken down in SC long before this.

I'm not even going to go so far as saying it shouldn't be sold. Like, that's up to individual businesses to me. But on public grounds? Fuck that and anyone supporting it.
 

oti

Banned
No because I don't live in Germany but I bet Germans still have a clear understanding of the atrocities of WWII.

Dude, you can absolutely not live in Germany without knowing what happened in WWII and who the bad guys were. No chance whatsoever. Nazi symbolism in movies and books is fair game, Only games seem to be different to the government for whatever reason.
 
This is silly. Nobody gave a damn about the confederate flag until this asshole decided to kill these people in this church. I don't get it. I think a lot of people are missing the point with this. This guy wasn't able to kill these people because he had access to a confederate flag...

Yea, nobody cared till now (that's why there was legislator trying to remove it back in 2000)

Oh wait, I forgot, people do give a shit and have made the connection between a flag designed with white supremacy in mind and that of a mass murder motivated completely by race flying at the state house, and flying ABOVE the United States flag when the US flag was at half mask.

I mean, it's not like the flag was raised in the early 1960's at the hight of the civil rights movement or anything.

But lets just keep that apathy train going! "I mean, I don't give a shit, why does everyone else care, am I right?"
 

KHlover

Banned
No because I don't live in Germany but I bet Germans still have a clear understanding of the atrocities of WWII.

We do our best to never forget. I don't think anyone who goes through the full school curriculum here gets to leave without at least 1-2 years (for the lower school forms) or at least 3 years worth of history classes about the rise of the Nazi party and WW2, as well as coverage of the subject in multiple other subjects like Religion, Ethics, Music and German.

Also at least everyone who attended a Gymnasium (can't speak for the other school forms in this regard, but I'd bet they do it too) within 200-300km of a Concentration Camp won't graduate without having visited it at least once.
 

Rembrandt

Banned
It's not just Apple. This is a rapidly slippery slope where everything either racist or offends someone and thus needs to be banned or removed. It's not even a slippery slope anymore...it's a fucking landslide. People need to learn to just fucking get over things and not get offended by stupid shit like inanimate objects like flags or even more ridiculous, "offensive" words.

Lmao, if you say so.


Dude, you can absolutely not live in Germany without knowing what happened in WWII and who the bad guys were. No chance whatsoever. Nazi symbolism in movies and books is fair game, Only games seem to be different to the government for whatever reason.

We do our best to never forget. I don't think anyone who goes through the full school curriculum here gets to leave without at least 1-2 years (for the lower school forms) or at least 3 years worth of history classes about the rise of the Nazi party and WW2, as well as coverage of the subject in multiple other subjects like Religion, Ethics, Music and German.

Also at least everyone who attended a Gymnasium (can't speak for the other school forms in this regard, but I'd bet they do it too) within 200-300km of a Concentration Camp won't graduate without having visited it at least once.

I figured as much. My post was just to show how silly I think the idea of the removal from video games would lead to people forgetting it happened is.
 

Kinsei

Banned
It's not just Apple. This is a rapidly slippery slope where everything either racist or offends someone and thus needs to be banned or removed. It's not even a slippery slope anymore...it's a fucking landslide. People need to learn to just fucking get over things and not get offended by stupid shit like inanimate objects like flags or even more ridiculous, "offensive" words.

I take it you're straight, cis, and white?
 

Varjis

Member
Offtopic: It is actual even more hilarious because the flag they fly isn't even the Confederate States of America flag, its the freaking battle flag of the Northern Virginia Army! (Which got popularized to represent the Confederacy cause it was purty I guess) So in essence they are paying tribute to the Confederate Army.

I love how some people are too stupid to know their own history, but then again we are talking about a group of people that often refer to the Civil War as "The War of Northern Aggression."


Back on topic: Apple is over zealous in their political correctness associated with the current news cycle and the sky is blue.
 

kribz

Member
I guess they will have to take this band's albums down too
bad7154f-e519-409d-9abe-bb11df69feef_256.jpg
 

duckroll

Member
This is a fucking stupid move, but Apple has always been known for making fucking stupid moves like this on the App Store, so it's not really surprising. Remember when they initially refused to allow Papers Please on the store because of "nudity"?
 

cackhyena

Member
It's not just Apple. This is a rapidly slippery slope where everything either racist or offends someone and thus needs to be banned or removed. It's not even a slippery slope anymore...it's a fucking landslide. People need to learn to just fucking get over things and not get offended by stupid shit like inanimate objects such as flags or even more ridiculous, "offensive" words.

An inanimate object that symbolizes a divide in our nation over something objectively horrible. It's not crazy to want it removed from public/government locations. Dirtbags can wave it. Our government shouldn't.
 
Offtopic: It is actual even more hilarious because the flag they fly isn't even the Confederate States of America flag, its the freaking battle flag of the Northern Virginia Army! (Which got popularized to represent the Confederacy cause it was purty I guess) So in essence they are paying tribute to the Confederate Army.

I love how some people are too stupid to know their own history, but then again we are talking about a group of people that often refer to the Civil War as "The War of Northern Aggression."


Back on topic: Apple is over zealous in their political correctness associated with the current news cycle and the sky is blue.

This is the best part about it really. I wish more news agencies would tell the idiots who go "Mah heritage!!!" about actual history.

It's not just Apple. This is a rapidly slippery slope where everything either racist or offends someone and thus needs to be banned or removed. It's not even a slippery slope anymore...it's a fucking landslide. People need to learn to just fucking get over things and not get offended by stupid shit like inanimate objects such as flags (though of course it shouldn't be on government buildings) or even more ridiculous, "offensive" words.

Or you know, understand what the confederacy represented and why flying a fucking battle flag over the capitol of a state with a huge black population is horribly intolerant of that population of people, or the reason why it's flying in the first place.

But no, people are just too sensitive these days and need to man up against obvious institutional racism.
 

SDCowboy

Member
An inanimate object that symbolizes a divide in our nation over something objectively horrible. It's not crazy to want it removed from public/government locations. Dirtbags can wave it. Our government shouldn't.

Of course it shouldn't be on government buildings. I'm not arguing that. But people not even wanting the flag sold or for people wanting it banned is ludicrous, IMO.
 
If the mere presence of the swastika or confederate flag in a game glorifies those things then the presence of nazis or confederate soldiers do as well, and should be purged as well, along with any references to locations, dates, etc. Removing a single symbol doesn't purge a game of any possibility of glorifying hate.

Really, if you're going to ban the use of Confederate flags in war games, you should just ban all games which allow the player to play as the Confederate side. Letting someone enact their fantasies of making the side that fought for slavery win is far worse than just printing a flag.
 
It's not just Apple. This is a rapidly slippery slope where everything either racist or offends someone and thus needs to be banned or removed. It's not even a slippery slope anymore...it's a fucking landslide. People need to learn to just fucking get over things and not get offended by stupid shit like inanimate objects such as flags or even more ridiculous, "offensive" words.

That's a larger scope of discussion, and a boring one at that.
 
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