BruceVC

Actually Amentep and I have disagreed on this topic on several areas. He definitely doesn't share my view on all things related to SJ issues, the one thing we do agree on is the meaning of words. Anyway consider what he is saying, he makes some valid points

And what, pray tell, would that be? I think the idea that the gamer identity is supposed to die is stupid. I also think mischaracterizing feminism is stupid. Personally, I see your stand as inconsistant since your argument isn't based on meaning or even intent of use but on a nebulous "how many people use it in the way described". Which I guess means that once 51% of the people start calling gamers white misogynists you'll be agreeing with the "gamers are evil" stance? Yeah you right Amentep. And you and I have discussed this in the past around these exact words The principle of the meaning of words needs to be consistent, you can't be selective when it suits you Volo, its okay to admit you are wrong. No one will think less of you

That's been my personal experience in the South African context around what ISIS are doing, so the typical comment to ISIS brutality is something along the lines of " yes I don't support them BUT ....." and I always find that the moment someone uses the " but " word it almost negates everything that said before because then there is this complicated justification for there actions. And in South Africa we are dealing with a greater problem and that's around perception, as I mentioned there really are people who deny that groups like Boko Haram and ISIS are Muslim extremists. And that's very unhelpful to the broader understanding of why these groups exist and how to reduce there effectiveness

Bruce we all know what the dictionary says. But the problem is in identifying said inequality and finding solutions that are fair. You can have all the best sounding motivation in the world but it is the how you go on about achieving your goal and the results of your efforts that can rightfully come to define your entire movement. Sure I agree and that's why you'll notice I don't call myself a feminist anymore. I say I believe in gender equality. But I wanted to highlight the fact that there is movement of people, like Emma, who are aware of the negative perception around the word feminism. I just find it interesting that she wants to directly discuss that this word doesn't have to mean what some of you guys have come to say the word means Anyway I'm not here to convince anyone anymore about what the word means to them, I had a whole thread dedicated to that. This is more informational and for you to ponder when you are by yourself

But they're not achieving anything, that's the point. The message is to play smart. Think logically, not emotionally. You really think they aren't achieving anything? You may be right, but what about some pride and dignity. They not be achieving political change but just the fact they can partake in a march without being beaten up or arrested must be worth something?

I hear you and for anyone who isn't gay that would be applicable. But how high on the list of priorities would gay rights be for you if you were gay? I can tell you from experience that the further East you travel, the less gaydar people actually have. Noticed it VERY quickly when a class I had with people from various countries included a flaming gay Ukrainian and only myself and the latinos seemed to notice, while the asians and russians were all oblivious to it. I would later go on to advise a female russian friend that her love interest was flaming gay (which I determined after speaking to them for a grand total of five seconds) not once, but twice. In that sense, I promise you blending in as a "normal guy" if you're a flaming gay homosexual is pretty darned easy in Russia. They're not gonna drop dead suddenly any time soon. And having said that, I think what Fighter is saying is that you need to pick and choose your battles wisely. If a massive gay pride protest and parade took place in Moscow tomorrow, no one would take it seriously. If it were a protest for peace completely devoid of any gay representation, it'll be heard. Pick your battles and focus on the one you have a chance of winning first. If a gay Russian insists gay rights is more important, he's more than welcome to organize a protest aimed at that....though in my experience with the culture, I highly doubt anyone would have the balls to do that, and understandably so....which AGAIN highlights how that's the more difficult battle and the one to put on hold for now. Campaigns for basic human rights and dignity shouldn't be not practiced in a place like Russia just because of the Ukraine issue. These concerns can be interchangeable In other words I don't buy this whole argument that says " just because people are protesting about Ukrainian crisis gay activists also shouldn't protest" Imagine trying to sell that logic to activists in any Western country? You take what awareness you can raise in a place like Russia, you can't really be selective because its not like these types of marches are common as far as I know? I think problem is that there are many people that may support Ukraine but simply dont support LGBT movement. So in the end it hurts those people who just want to show support to Ukraine because they end up in same basket as LGBT movement. Good point, I can see the logic behind your post. Its a pity but I can see how that may be the case

I hear you and for anyone who isn't gay that would be applicable. But how high on the list of priorities would gay rights be for you if you were gay? I can tell you from experience that the further East you travel, the less gaydar people actually have. Noticed it VERY quickly when a class I had with people from various countries included a flaming gay Ukrainian and only myself and the latinos seemed to notice, while the asians and russians were all oblivious to it. I would later go on to advise a female russian friend that her love interest was flaming gay (which I determined after speaking to them for a grand total of five seconds) not once, but twice. In that sense, I promise you blending in as a "normal guy" if you're a flaming gay homosexual is pretty darned easy in Russia. They're not gonna drop dead suddenly any time soon. And having said that, I think what Fighter is saying is that you need to pick and choose your battles wisely. If a massive gay pride protest and parade took place in Moscow tomorrow, no one would take it seriously. If it were a protest for peace completely devoid of any gay representation, it'll be heard. Pick your battles and focus on the one you have a chance of winning first. If a gay Russian insists gay rights is more important, he's more than welcome to organize a protest aimed at that....though in my experience with the culture, I highly doubt anyone would have the balls to do that, and understandably so....which AGAIN highlights how that's the more difficult battle and the one to put on hold for now. Campaigns for basic human rights and dignity shouldn't be not practiced in a place like Russia just because of the Ukraine issue. These concerns can be interchangeable In other words I don't buy this whole argument that says " just because people are protesting about Ukrainian crisis gay activists also shouldn't protest" Imagine trying to sell that logic to activists in any Western country? You take what awareness you can raise in a place like Russia, you can't really be selective because its not like these types of marches are common as far as I know? I don't think you read my post. No one is saying they can't be there. All that was said was please don't be flaming gay and come dressing or acting in a way that screams "I'm gay" because it detracts from the purpose. This is hardly a big issue: I have to dress professionally for a job interview, they're being asked to dress less flamboyantly for protests. No one is saying they shouldn't protest about gay rights. All that was said is that in an idealistic world, that would be the case. In reality, they could get f***ing shot. Therefore, it doesn't happen. They probably want to, but also know better, and thus stay quiet and weigh SAFER options in their heads. I promise you if you went to Russia and gave your speech about basic human rights and how you should all march on the Kremlin...if you gave that speech to the very gay people who would benefit from the protest, a good percent of them wouldn't support your protest out of fear and would likely try to talk you out of it. And this is not the west. You'd be horrendously naive to handle a problem in the East as you do in the west. Different cultures exist, different mentalities exist. Act appropriately for each if you wish to live long. I for one don't go telling people my religion (or lack thereof) while in the Southern States in the USA because I'm smart enough to know it'll cause trouble, and I'm also realistic enough to know that if I organized a agnostic/athiest pride parade in a Southern state, all it'd accomplish is it might start a fight. Therefore, don't bother. The athiests and agnostics in that state will know to keep their mouths shut and pretend they're Christian too, those that don't deal with extra stress and conflict. That same rule does not apply to the rest of the United States, nor to Germany, nor to the Netherlands, nor to Canada. However, it's probably not wise to discuss how disgusted you are by Israel in Germany. (here nothing bad would happen to you, it's just gonna be HELLA AWKWARD and uncomfortable for the room) Different cultures react different ways and must be handled differently. You're free to go to Moscow and act just like you would in your own country, but don't act surprised when you end up arrested. I did read what you said but I don't think I explained my point properly And you have actually summarized the exact issue with why gay activists are protesting at the peace march, I agree with you. Russia is not the West and I would be intimidated and probably deported if I started to raise awareness around gay rights. And most gay people probably wouldn't join my campaign out of fear. But that's why they are doing it at the peace march, the Russian authorities are less likely to be heavy handed. And just to be clear, the purpose of them being in the march is to say " I'm a gay Russian and I want people to know ", sp the flamboyant dress is part of the message and the way they raise visibility. So again the argument that's says " they need to dress differently " defeats the point of what they are trying to achieve

https://za.celebrity.yahoo.com/blogs/celeb-news/emma-watson-delivers-stirring-speech-at-u-n-204442194.html Guys here is an interesting read, I have even more respect for Emma Watson after seeing her efforts to highlight the campaign for gender equality Very relevant when she said "I was appointed as Goodwill Ambassador for U.N. Women six months ago and the more I've spoken about feminism, the more I have realized that fighting for women's rights has too often become synonymous with man-hating. If there is one thing I know for certain, it is that this has to stop." "Feminism," Watson continued, "is, by definition, the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities. It is the theory of the political, economic and social equality of the sexes." How many times have I said that feminism doesn't mean you are a man-hater or that men must be marginalized ...Volo I hope you read this

Come now Indira, don't be lazy. Can't you just quickly write a script that makes all the changes for us?

I hear you and for anyone who isn't gay that would be applicable. But how high on the list of priorities would gay rights be for you if you were gay? I can tell you from experience that the further East you travel, the less gaydar people actually have. Noticed it VERY quickly when a class I had with people from various countries included a flaming gay Ukrainian and only myself and the latinos seemed to notice, while the asians and russians were all oblivious to it. I would later go on to advise a female russian friend that her love interest was flaming gay (which I determined after speaking to them for a grand total of five seconds) not once, but twice. In that sense, I promise you blending in as a "normal guy" if you're a flaming gay homosexual is pretty darned easy in Russia. They're not gonna drop dead suddenly any time soon. And having said that, I think what Fighter is saying is that you need to pick and choose your battles wisely. If a massive gay pride protest and parade took place in Moscow tomorrow, no one would take it seriously. If it were a protest for peace completely devoid of any gay representation, it'll be heard. Pick your battles and focus on the one you have a chance of winning first. If a gay Russian insists gay rights is more important, he's more than welcome to organize a protest aimed at that....though in my experience with the culture, I highly doubt anyone would have the balls to do that, and understandably so....which AGAIN highlights how that's the more difficult battle and the one to put on hold for now. Campaigns for basic human rights and dignity shouldn't be not practiced in a place like Russia just because of the Ukraine issue. These concerns can be interchangeable In other words I don't buy this whole argument that says " just because people are protesting about Ukrainian crisis gay activists also shouldn't protest" Imagine trying to sell that logic to activists in any Western country? You take what awareness you can raise in a place like Russia, you can't really be selective because its not like these types of marches are common as far as I know?

I hear you and for anyone who isn't gay that would be applicable. But how high on the list of priorities would gay rights be for you if you were gay?

Or its the opinion of radical feminists, not sure why you guys want to post there stuff and then express such outrage. They don't represent mainstream gender equality views Some of there blogs are just ludicrous

No it wasn't playable for everyone, that's the point. Like the fact CoM_Solaufein game keeps crashing? Your own personal experience doesn't apply to everyone

I'm all for gay rights, but I don't see what homosexuality has to do with Ukraine. Is this protest about more than just the Ukraine issue? I think protests are more effective when they are about a single issue. There is a connection between gay rights and the nationalist interests of Russia in Ukraine. And that connection is Putin, we know that Putin has started legislating homophobia in Russia. So any march that is opposed to Russian interference in Ukraine will also bring about gay people in Russia joining the protest who being discriminated against It all boils down top the same objective, raising awareness to the authoritarian policies of Putin Putin may be behind both the those situation, but they are still separate issues. If they had staged a protest about gay rights exclusively; I suspect the results would be better than getting the issue mixed up with other policies. There is suppression of certain basic human rights, like the right to protest, in Russia so I can completely understand why gay activists would jump on the bandwagon to raise visibility to there cause during a anti-war protest. You must be aware how heavy handed the Russian police have been in the past when there were dedicated protests raising visibility around homophobia If I was a gay Russian I would also use an anti-war protest to champion my cause because you are shielded by all the other protesters in certain respects

Personally I really enjoy these types of discussions. Its a lot more interesting than threads discussing conspiracy theories within the gaming industry, don't you think?

I'll let you into a secret- I'm not even slightly worried about disagreeing with you as I don't value your opinions at all. I call it trolling because telling someone they should 'appreciate'- your word- their country being bombed is trolling, plain and simple. And as usual you are selective with your understanding or you make an assumption around what someone means or says. I never said "Serbia should appreciate that they were bombed ". I said "You really don't seem to appreciate what NATO did for your country, imagine what would have happened if the Bosnian war had been to allowed continue" NATO ended the war in Bosnia and Kosovo. Why do you think that any country shouldn't see the long term benefits of not being involved in a war? Its obvious I suppose you would be happy if the Serbs had basically carved whatever parts of Bosnia they wanted and the forced the ethnic Bosniaks to live somewhere else? That does seem to be how you see things, like your justifications for Russia illegally annexing the Crimea So in your world as long as the West isn't illegally occupying other countries its fine. But other countries like Russia can basically do what they want and your prodigious justification machinery kicks to explain how legitimate there actions are Nice consistency there Zora

I'm all for gay rights, but I don't see what homosexuality has to do with Ukraine. Is this protest about more than just the Ukraine issue? I think protests are more effective when they are about a single issue. There is a connection between gay rights and the nationalist interests of Russia in Ukraine. And that connection is Putin, we know that Putin has started legislating homophobia in Russia. So any march that is opposed to Russian interference in Ukraine will also bring about gay people in Russia joining the protest who being discriminated against It all boils down top the same objective, raising awareness to the authoritarian policies of Putin

It's an online game. I already knew this was coming, but... Why don't you like this concept, is it because its online? I wonder if that just means if it will offer multiplayer ? Yes. It's not an expansion, it's a new game. I want to hope for the best, but when I read "PC only online game" my mind immediately goes to a dark place that says oh dear lord, will it be YAMMO (Yet Another MMO) or YAMOBA (Yet Another MOBA)? Yeah I share the concerns about issues around games being online. But I do think it could be quite fun playing PVP using the martial arts system of Sleeping Dogs. Imagine those fighting tournaments that you can partake of in the game but this time its against other players..that would be challenging. Not sure if this online version of SD will offer that ?

It's an online game. I already knew this was coming, but... Why don't you like this concept, is it because its online? I wonder if that just means if it will offer multiplayer ?

Wow that does sound bad but at least you are very proficient in English so you and other German fans can still play in English? Or would you only play the game in German?

During this whole Ukraine situation more than a few people have invoked NATO as a justification for intervention. Also the last NATO intervention as Libya, which was 3 years ago.

Not at all, you just bitter because NATO bombed some sense into Serbia. But this prevented you guys from committing even more acts of genocide. You really don't seem to appreciate what NATO did for your country, imagine what would have happened if the Bosnian war had been to allowed continue? Imagine how many additional Serbs would be facing war crimes in the Hague, trust me Sarex NATO did Serbia a favour by ending the war. It may not seem like it but NATO intervention was the best long term strategy for stability of the whole region Trolling is bad enough but telling someone who may well have had friends or relatives 'liberated, from life' by your good friends in NATO and telling them that they should be grateful for it- again, and again, no less- is bad taste at best and is- absolutely- the definition of trolling for a response. It's also boring, lazy and- sadly- utterly par for the course, for you. According to you it trolling because I don't echo your opinion I have had numerous discussions with Sarex around politics and he is definitely anti-Western and the root cause of this is the perceived treatment that Serbia received during the Bosnian war and Kosovo. Serbia wasn't singled out for military action because NATO was "anti-Serbia " but because there was a valid reason due to persistent Serbian aggression against the Bosniaks and Croats ( and yes the Croats and Bosniaks also committed war crimes but not as many as the Serbs) Sorry you don't like the facts around history but that's your problem really I also take an issue with Sarex saying my opinion is insane because I am not agreeing that NATO is some aggressive organisation that pushes a Western agenda at the expense of everything else

http://www.pcgamer.com/2014/09/22/sleeping-dogs-follow-up-triad-wars-is-a-pc-only-online-game/ Yay, it looks like there is a PC only expansion coming to Sleeping Dogs. I'll be getting this one for sure, I loved Sleeping Dogs. More news about this to follow

That's a very wrong statement. Do you know that the last NATO intervention was nearly 10 years ago? Do you know that most interventions by NATO was on the request of USA? How can you claim that NATO is forcing US to intervene when it's exactly the other way around? No that's not true, the reality of NATO is that unless the USA gets involved in any NATO mission there is a lack of commitment and effectiveness. The UK and France do contribute but everyone basically expects the USA to contribute in military missions or they generally don't happen. Libya is an exception to this where once the USA destroyed Gaddafi's anti-aircraft defences it was the UK and France who did most of the airstrikes So I do believe that NATO without the USA wouldn't be as prominent as it is now

Not at all, you just bitter because NATO bombed some sense into Serbia. But this prevented you guys from committing even more acts of genocide. You really don't seem to appreciate what NATO did for your country, imagine what would have happened if the Bosnian war had been to allowed continue? Imagine how many additional Serbs would be facing war crimes in the Hague, trust me Sarex NATO did Serbia a favour by ending the war. It may not seem like it but NATO intervention was the best long term strategy for stability of the whole region