It is absolutely correct that the glorification of violent behaviour by the media is one of the primary causes creating our ever more violent societies.

Anyone who is stupid enough to think that the messages and images broadcast by the media can not affect human behaviour should explain a away the multi trillion dollar per year advertising industry, which boasts the complete opposite.

Armies have known since Roman times that the majority of men will not kill or even injure the enemy under almost any circumstances. Men have to be conditioned to kill other human beings, and most normal men who achieve that usually display symptoms of overwhelming guilt. This is not such a problem in modern armies where most of the killing is done by crew served weapons where the soldiers do not hear the screams or see the blood of the people they are killing.

The US Army in Vietnam was the first army to use military brain washing techniques to overcome their soldiers perfectly normal human inhibition to kill other human beings. Today, they use (wait for it) computer shoot-em-up simulator games to achieve the same end. Think about it. The US Armed forces use computer games to overcome the normal human inhibition against killing other human beings, and our society sells the same products to kids as a game.

Binoy is displaying his usual ignorance about a subject he knows nothing about. He is simply chanting the mantras of the elitist caste, too many of whom are employed in the entertainment industries which are one of the primary problems. Much easier to point he finger of blame at firearms while they churn out endless movies, songs and games extolling the virtues of serious criminal behaviour, drug abuse, misogyny, and heroes solving their problems with guns. The only gun control the movie industry opposes is on their own violent movies where criminal firearm misuse is used in almost every movie.

1. The crowd killing Gun mentality is a dark and dirty part of American culture,

- championed by you Americans. Are you one of the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proud_Boys LEGO?

We in Australia vote for the politicians who have legally banned the assault rifle type of guns that do most of the school-mall-crowd killing in America.

2. Rather than the 2nd Amendment American militia argument of "Guns defending the home" the reality is:

Nearly 2/3rds of gun deaths are suicides:

- The U.S. gun suicide rate is 10 times that of other high-income countries.

- Access to a gun increases the risk of death by suicide by three times
see http://everytownresearch.org/gun-violence-america/

In the US Children are being killed by family members who use guns on them.

- For children under age 13 who are victims of gun homicides, 85 percent of those deaths occur in the HOME
see http://everytownresearch.org/impact-gun-violence-american-children-teens/

Also the bizarrely threatening is the right to openly carry guns in public. Guns visible in holsters are legal in many US states.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_carry_in_the_United_States

Unlike more civilised countries many Americans have a peculiar I'm Like A Cowboy macho attitude to guns. They feel like real men "carrying" or "packing heat".

Video games are all over the world! If it was video games leading to mass murder with guns, knives or motor vehicles?

Then the whole world would be involved, and anarchy would reign supreme.

It's always those with simple minds and simple solutions that are to blame. And simply blaming inanimate objects is merely mindless postulating to serve a preferred political outcome!

I believe most of this new wave of violence is the result of decades-long social inequity and social injustice. And stirred by a few with their own (green left-wing/black right-wing/ power for its own sake) political agenda.

Thus we see Donald siding with white supremacists and blaming migrant Latinos for most of America's ills in an echo from the past when a then Nazi regime blamed another migrant ethenic minority for all their economic ills!

When in fact the culprit is greed is good individualism! [Or quite blatant economic stupidity.] And even promoted from the pulpit by bible bashing, mendacious, disingenuous, rich folk claiming to be Christian

Genuine Christians tweet others as they would be tweeted
Alan B.

If it was gun ownership in private hands that caused all the gun-crazy killing then why is this bizarre outcome replicated in Switzerland where gun laws are and have been very liberal for decades. And where access to video games is just as prevalent as in any other liberal democracy or perhaps more so?

Switzerland has what some may label a real democracy and where the average citizen has much more say than we or indeed the average American does.

Japan has reportedly anecdotally, one of the highest handgun ownership rates in the world, albeit mostly illegal and unpublicised. And awash with some of the most violent video games. Yet home to some of the most polite and respectful people anywhere. And inculcated from the cradle by cultural custom.

I believe Pete may be on to something and points to inculcated cowboy/maverick culture and custom as a contributing factor.

That said, crazies with guns/lethal weapons are those who do the killing and usually cannot get enough guns or lethal weapons.

And we approach a time where proficiency with lethal weapons may ensure survival?

It's down as usual, to the politicians and their lust for power?
Alan B.

Hi Alan B.

I agree with many of your points.

Adding its the "crazies with guns/lethal weapons are those who do the killing" who are

1. most likely to turn guns on themselves ie. SUICIDE, and

2. killing their own CHILDREN IN THEIR OWN homes - see http://everytownresearch.org/gun-violence-america/
_____________________________

BUT no its not "down as usual, to the politicians and their lust for power?"

That is a strange American extremist Oath Keeper belief that the UN and US Government are the evil that justifies assault rifles and handguns - see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oath_Keepers

It just so happens that American politicians are forced to bow to NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION lobbyists - with the NRA mostly funded by the US and Overseas gun production industry. The NRA threatens that many/most politicians (who want to reduce the number of US guns) will be voted out of office by NRA campaign money at political elections.

Please recall the Port Arthur and Christchurch assault rifle massacres before voicing some American extremist arguments (of the type LEGO spouts...)

Regards

Indisputable fact. The US Army uses violent computer games to overcome their recruits natural innate aversion to killing or injuring other human beings. Such training is called "Operant Conditioning". And society today sells similar programs to kids as games. As one US Army psychologist remarked. "If society wants to train an entire generation of assassins and murderers, it could not find a better way to do it."

The fastest growing crime statistic in the western world is juvenile homicide. Here in Australia, the Australian Institute of Criminology reported in June 1990 that it was "puzzled" at the rise in violent crime, especially homicide, that was being perpetrated by children. Perhaps the AIC thinks it may be a result of an airborne virus? These were the same AIC brainiacs who addressed a conference in Canberra (Violence, Crime, and the Entertainment Media) who put their hands behind their backs, crossed their fingers, and told an openly disbelieving audience that there was no causal link between violent media and violent crime.

Many socially isolated immature young men live their young lives alone in their rooms, endlessly replaying violent games, violent music, and watching violent TV shows where Real Men are always portrayed as violent men. US criminologist Bill Reismann who investigates after every school shooting notes the violent posters, games, comics and the CD's with the gruesome lyrics. "When we go into their rooms after the fact, it's all there, the signs are all there."

These immature and socially isolated young men and boys, may harbour deep resentments at the society who thinks them weird, specially towards the girls who reject their company. They are then surrounded by various types of entertainment media that stokes their violent and sexual fantasies. Even such brainiacs as Plantagenet and Alan B would probably have the wit to figure out that a computer game like Postal, where pretty young cheerleaders beg for their lives before you shoot them, allows these immature boys to live out the fantasies of Ivan Milat, and to get to like it.