Chilean students protests

[garo]

I've been wondering, what do you think about the student protests in Chile? (I'm from Chile, and I'm a college student)

 

Do the people in north america knows anything about the subject?

Here we have been watching closely the Occupy Movement in USA and other social movements from around the world, and I want to know if you discuss about this topics too.

[Dantius]

I haven't heard a peep from US media, and the only contact I've had with news came from an article in the Economist a few weeks ago, so I'm hardly able to draw very many conclusions about the movement.

 

This certainly does seem like something that should be discussed or at least touched on more in the US news, though.

[Actaeon]

I was aware that several Latin American countries had embraced a rather neoliberal approach in recent years. I had not looked deeply into the backlash. On some level, I think a truly successful worldwide social movement might have to start in the United States. We tend to meddle in revolutions that we're not in favor of. On the other hand, this isn't 1973. Our meddling is harder to keep quiet, and our unilateral status is on the wane.

 

I hope that the people get the changes they want. And that we don't come in and help another junta take over.

[keira]

The only news I ever really take in is Slashdot. I didn't even know the occupy <noun> movement was still going on >.>

[Rowen]

Back in 2006 there was school takeover by the students in Chile. They locked themselves inside, bared the doors and windows with desks to keep the military for forcing them out. Those not in the schools marched on La Moneda, (capital building). It lasted four days and was called the Penguin March by many of the locals I knew.

[garo]

I've too thought that maybe any social revolution should start on the United States, but then I realize that I shouldn't trust so little in what my own people can get.

Eitherway, it's nice to see at least some few people here interested in this kind of matters.

It hurts me to think that the average gamer dislikes politics despite it is present in almost every game plot.

[Acky]

Originally Posted By: garo

I've too thought that maybe any social revolution should start on the United States, but then I realize that I shouldn't trust so little in what my own people can get.
Eitherway, it's nice to see at least some few people here interested in this kind of matters.
It hurts me to think that the average gamer dislikes politics despite it is present in almost every game plot.

To be fair, a lot of people play games to escape from reality. People who might otherwise be interested in world politics just don't want to deal with it while they're slaying Dragons, collecting/stealing loot, and rescuing various damsels from various distressful situations. I try to stay active in my own local county political scene as well as the rest of the country (US). But when someone tried converting me to join the Red Cross while I'm playing Xbox Live, I get pretty jaded.

[Ephesos]

Originally Posted By: garo

It hurts me to think that the average gamer dislikes politics despite it is present in almost every game plot.

Like Ackrovan said, most games that contain political stories have some serious tension between the main action and the overarching motivations. Like, I've been playing a lot of Skyrim, but I just can't get that interested in minor political plays by the individual cities when there are people getting eaten by dragons.

That said, it doesn't absolve us of blame to just say "well, the news is so depressing." Which is what I normally do, but I find that as I go on in life I have less energy with which to be angry at things. Which is an even more depressing thought than the news.

[Alorael at Large]

Originally Posted By: garo

IIt hurts me to think that the average gamer dislikes politics despite it is present in almost every game plot.

Does the average gamer dislike politics more than the average non-gamer?

—Alorael, who has seen plenty of political discussions here, although Spiderweb really isn't representative. But he'd expect at least a decent level of awareness, if not caring.

[Dantius]

Originally Posted By: Swords into linear accelerators

Originally Posted By: garo

IIt hurts me to think that the average gamer dislikes politics despite it is present in almost every game plot.

Does the average gamer dislike politics more than the average non-gamer?

—Alorael, who has seen plenty of political discussions here, although Spiderweb really isn't representative. But he'd expect at least a decent level of awareness, if not caring.

I would say that gamers tend to be younger that the population as a whole, and younger people tend to have a lower percentage of political activity in the general population. So I don't think it's so much "being a gamer mean that you become less politically active" as it is "gamers are primarily drawn from a group with lower initial political participation".

[Student of Trinity]

When you're young, politics is like that end of term paper. You still have lots of time, there's no need to work on it now. You'll get to work on it Real Soon, and when you do, dang, it's going to be perfect. Everyone will see. For now, a beer.

 

That's why government works as though it was thrown together at the last minute in a desperate all-nighter. It kind of is.

[Enraged Slith]

Thinking about politics just makes me angry all the time. Every year and generation is the new "worst ever", so I've just started to ignore current events. There's also the issue that being involved in politics would mean bumping heads with people I'd rather pretend didn't exist, so I avoid it in order to maintain what's left of my blissful worldview.

[Callie]

I would much rather have disagreement over silence.