Australia's Atkinson OK With Restricting Adult Liberties

[Jumplion]

Yes, let's attack a lone nutter for his nuttiness, while ignoring the bigger question here:

WHY ARE AUSTRALIAN VOTERS PUTTING UP WITH THIS??

I keep hearing about how bad things are getting down there with the governmental babysitting. And yet I'm not hearing about any mass political action fighting it. It's only going to get worse, Australians. Stand up to it or move, because it isn't going to just stop because one day someone in power has the epiphany that it's unethical.

Maybe I'm being cruel. But if you're not going to do everything you can to fix a problem that impacts you, you've got no right complaining when it gets worse.

One word; Laziness.

Hey, I'm American, I'm practically the definition of laziness.

If anyone could just start up a petition or something, I'd gladly sign it. Indigo_Dingo, you've been going on about a strike or something, why don't you just start a petition to either,

A) Get Atkinson the hell out of there or
B) Get an R18+ rating for games?

I'd support in anyway I can, ya Aussies you.

 

[TsunamiWombat]

He admits that his position "restricts adult liberty," but adds, "That is the price of keeping this material from children and vulnerable adults. In my view, the small sacrifice is worth it."

Nobody should be able to make that kind of judgment. It leads down a long and dangerous road, and before you know it, anything with salt, fat, violence, nudity, sugar, or peanuts are banned for the sake of others. Fuck this guy and the whores he rode in on, if thickies and children can't be trusted around such games, the thickies and children are the ones that should make sacrifices, not everyone else.

"Anyone willing to sacrifice freedoms for safety is deserving of neither"
-
Some dude in a wig. Ben Franklin maybe?

 

[TheBluesader]

One word; Laziness.

Hey, I'm American, I'm practically the definition of laziness.

If anyone could just start up a petition or something, I'd gladly sign it. Indigo_Dingo, you've been going on about a strike or something, why don't you just start a petition to either,

A) Get Atkinson the hell out of there or
B) Get an R18+ rating for games?

I'd support in anyway I can, ya Aussies you.

Heck, not even. All you need is some bored reporters trying to make a name for themselves. It's beyond cliche that self-righteous moralists are always hiding dirty secrets, and as these guys are also politicians....I mean, COME ON! No one will care about banning non-housewife-friendly games when they find out how many millions the Minister of Babysitting "appropriated" to refurbish his house.

It happens in the US all the time. Some guy gets all crusade-y about video games, and 2 months later he's trying to explain to his constituents and children how Fallout is Satanic, but cruising for street walkers in DC is just a "moral lapse."

The a free press: obnoxious, but still the 4th Estate. Or don't you have one of those down there any more, either?

 

[Brotherofwill]

"A game is not necessarily more interesting to an adult simply because it contains extreme violence, explicit sexual material, criminal activity, or offensive language"

Well not necessarily... who am I kidding.

His views really are missinformed. I never realized what stopped kids from buying adult games, just ask some teenagers you find in the shop to do it for you. If you approach the problem in this fashion, noone benefits. It's all about responsible education of parents.

 

[linchowlewy]

Yes, let's attack a lone nutter for his nuttiness, while ignoring the bigger question here:

WHY ARE AUSTRALIAN VOTERS PUTTING UP WITH THIS??

I keep hearing about how bad things are getting down there with the governmental babysitting. And yet I'm not hearing about any mass political action fighting it. It's only going to get worse, Australians. Stand up to it or move, because it isn't going to just stop because one day someone in power has the epiphany that it's unethical.

Maybe I'm being cruel. But if you're not going to do everything you can to fix a problem that impacts you, you've got no right complaining when it gets worse.

One word; Laziness.

Hey, I'm American, I'm practically the definition of laziness.

If anyone could just start up a petition or something, I'd gladly sign it. Indigo_Dingo, you've been going on about a strike or something, why don't you just start a petition to either,

A) Get Atkinson the hell out of there or
B) Get an R18+ rating for games?

I'd support in anyway I can, ya Aussies you.

It's because the majority of voters in South Australia aren't gamers, and as such have no idea what a raving lunatic atkinson is. and with the filter the government had plans for there were protests and petitions. i signed at least three petitions and joined a protest group.

with getting a petititon for an R18 rating or getting Atkinson out. it's almost impossible because voters won't listen to gamers when they hear our reasoning and no R18 can happen while Atkinson is there. he already has a horrible view of gamers because of the death threats he has been receiving.

 

[Praelanthor]

Yes, let's attack a lone nutter for his nuttiness, while ignoring the bigger question here:

WHY ARE AUSTRALIAN VOTERS PUTTING UP WITH THIS??

I keep hearing about how bad things are getting down there with the governmental babysitting. And yet I'm not hearing about any mass political action fighting it. It's only going to get worse, Australians. Stand up to it or move, because it isn't going to just stop because one day someone in power has the epiphany that it's unethical.

Maybe I'm being cruel. But if you're not going to do everything you can to fix a problem that impacts you, you've got no right complaining when it gets worse.

One word; Laziness.

Hey, I'm American, I'm practically the definition of laziness.

If anyone could just start up a petition or something, I'd gladly sign it. Indigo_Dingo, you've been going on about a strike or something, why don't you just start a petition to either,

A) Get Atkinson the hell out of there or
B) Get an R18+ rating for games?

I'd support in anyway I can, ya Aussies you.

see this is what happens when one person has too much power no government official should have a Veto capibility because it leads to F&^$bags like atkinson abusing the position

 

[mattttherman3]

"I don't support the introduction of an R18+ rating for electronic games, chiefly because it will greatly increase the risk of children and vulnerable adults being exposed to damaging images and messages,"

Really? It sounds like it would DECREASE the risk, what a MORON.

 

[Reaperman Wompa]

I like this guy now. We don't have to make him look an idiot and spend time going over all his speeches looking for mistakes so we can make fun of him, he makes it easy for us. May the prick take his ridiculous and idiotic notions and go learn the meaning of "Go fuck yourself you self righteous ****" in absolute detail.

 

[Avatar Roku]

His logic is a little off where he says that to get a R18+ Video, you need to have an ID, but an R18+ game, once bought, can be played by anyone in the home. Can't anyone in the home watch the R18+ Video once it has been bought as well?

I was gonna point that out.

with getting a petititon for an R18 rating or getting Atkinson out. it's almost impossible because voters won't listen to gamers when they hear our reasoning and no R18 can happen while Atkinson is there. he already has a horrible view of gamers because of the death threats he has been receiving.

Whoa, he's been getting death threats? I can understand a bad image of gamers then. DAMN IT 4CHAN!! (I assume 4chan was behind it)

 

[MercurySteam]

So this will basically mean Australians will need to be the same age as Americans to buy games such as RE5. Australia bans alot of games per yer from being released cause think thery're too violent. Why not slap this R18+ rating on games they think are unsuitable to release and actually release them? As long as they don't go slapping it on games as good as Dead Space, but knowing the ESRB, they'll abuse that right........

So we go back to square one and all i have to say is, short answer: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

 

[Booze Zombie]

Why does this one guy get to effect a whole country? Fuck Democracy.
Oh, and this guy, whatever his name is.

Asskisson? Bah, whatever.

 

[Rolling Thunder]

I only have one thing to say to all those Australian gamers: It's your own fault. It was your demands for independance that led to the rise of the ultraconservative in Austrailia, and it's your own fault for voting such ignorant fuckwads into office. You should have stuck with dominion status.

And your rugby team cheats. Badly.

 

[Copter400]

He admits that his position "restricts adult liberty," but adds, "That is the price of keeping this material from children and vulnerable adults. In my view, the small sacrifice is worth it."

Our hobby ain't yours to sacrifice, jack tard! It's easy to give away what's not yours!

Malygris, an excellent choice of picture.

EDIT: @ Fondant: Obviously, each gamer in Australia was a founding father in the country and can be held directly responsible for Atkinson coming into power.

 

[Dommyboy]

People from other countries don't seem to realize that Australian citizens can't really do much. Atkinson get's a lot of protests and complaints against the no R18+ rating but he doesn't care. He even said that in a few interviews such as an interview with Good Game.

 

[Jharry5]

And I thought Britain was the worst nanny-state around.
Can't understand why Australian voters put up with it... (Come to think of it, why do British voters put up with it too...?)

 

[Johnn Johnston]

I hear that alcohol [http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/07/28/2316773.htm] is to blame for a rise in Australian crime levels. Why not campaign to ban that, too?

Citing his experience with his own children,

As well as other peoples, I'm sure.

Hi-oh!

 

[Specter_]

He also posited that adults don't need "extreme violence, perverted sex and criminal activity" to enjoy playing videogames. "There are plenty of sophisticated games that are of interest to adults," he said. "A game is not necessarily more interesting to an adult simply because it contains extreme violence, explicit sexual material, criminal activity, or offensive language. Some of the most popular and highly recommended games for adults would not be R18+ rated."

His biggest concern appears to stem from the fact that the government cannot police age enforcement of videogames once people have them in their homes, leaving children at a higher risk of being exposed to questionable material. "In cinemas, the age of moviegoers can be regulated, and at the video store people must provide ID to hire R18+ videos," Atkinson said. "Once electronic games are in the home, access to them cannot be policed and the games are easily accessible to children. These days, older children (18-30) are often living in the family home with younger children (under 18). This means games belonging to older children or parents can easily make their way into the hands of those under 18."

So basically he's saying that
a) he knows what adults should like / not like and
b) that parents are too stupid to protect their kids from harmfull content?