The Things They Carried is a collection of the author's memories of the time he spent serving in the Vietnam War. I thought it was excellently written, but, as with other war novels, I don't feel that I can adequately pass judgment, for I've never been in combat. But, from my limited point of view, it was vulnerable, real, captivating, and sincere. It also led me to a realization on a related subject.
Video games make me intensely uncomfortable, especially war-themed ones. I've heard all kinds of justification for them- that boys are competitive and need an outlet; "Those are just pixels on the screen, not people"; "I just play to relax and have fun"; and the like. But after reading this book, I've decided the reason these video games bother me is their desensitizing properties. War is not a game, and reducing it to such is trivializing it to the point of ridicule. Playing war games is murder without consequences, without the complex emotions and psychological effects that go with it.
Video games basically mock the concept of war. The main problem, perhaps, is the "game over, play again?" feature. A true simulation of war would shut down permanently after the first time one is "killed." War, after all, is not sitting on a couch pressing buttons, and it should be treated as such. War is hell, not entertainment.
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