Myles Poland
Myles has a terrible case of "Someone Is Wrong On The Internet And I Must Correct Them" syndrome; doctors believe his condition is terminal. He is usually the token theist in any given group, but sadly does not qualify as an EO hire.
It’s a sad fact that most people spend too much time surfing the internet. It’s an even sadder fact that most people form their opinions based on what information is presented conveniently. As soon as someone logs on, they are inundated with stories about whatever cause is currently in fashion—causes that are almost exclusively driven by “progressive” politics. The fact that transsexual men are forbidden from using the women’s restroom is now treated as grievous a violation of civil rights as blacks having fire hoses turned on them during the 1960’s.
Progressives, “social justice warriors,” and others of a liberal disposition have an amazing talent for messaging. Not only are they remarkably adept at adding emotional impact to the stories they tell, giving the reader an impression that whichever issue de jour is a crisis in need of immediate and drastic action, but their talent for dismissing and disqualifying any opposing viewpoint has been honed to a razor’s edge. Nary a day passes that opposition to the official narrative is not shouted down, called names, and dragged through the mud. Their control of the narrative, until very recently, has been absolute.
Most of these users are simply not going to take the time to sift through these stories and background information to discover whether or not they bear any resemblance to reality. Let’s face it: being well-informed is hard work and very, very boring. They are more likely to read the headline and first paragraph of each story and accept it at face value.
The more discerning internet user may understand, however dimly, that something doesn’t seem quite right. But what other source of information is out there besides the official narrative?
Given this abuse, it is almost poetic that gamers, people who accept and dish out as a matter of course abuse that most of us would only think to ourselves (or shout out of a car window) find themselves on the front line of the culture war. The traditional Western culture, the entertainment industry, and the Church have all fallen in line with the progressive narrative, implicitly if not explicitly. Those among the old, tumbled bastions of common sense and decency who may have opposed the narrative remained silent for fear of their reputation, jobs, and even safety.
But not gamers. Rather than accept being called racists, misogynists, homophobes, and whatever other meaningless collection of syllables is used to shame dissenters, gamers said “No, we’re not going to put up with false accusations and threats.” There were no Molotov cocktails thrown, no barriers stormed and no shots fired. Their act of resistance was merely the refusal to let others decide reality for them.
In the meantime, #gamergate, a social media campaign supporting ethics in gaming journalism, has exploded in popularity and infamy. #Gamergate supporters have been consistently presenting a story based on common sense and truth, highlighting all the while the abuse hurled at them by their so-called open-minded opposition. They have been presenting their case effectively and frequently, challenging the official narrative that gamers are terrible people for the crime of not swallowing the progressive narrative whole and humbling themselves before their “enlightened betters.”
#Gamergate matters because it represents a crack in the wall, a chink in the armor of the totalitarian thought control of the left. Those who may have otherwise accepted the narrative in other circumstances see first hand that submission means rejecting the truth. #Gamergate could very well be the first step in turning the tide against the intimidation and threats brought against anyone challenging the narrative.
#Gamergate matters because it set an example. Anyone who has been following this course of events can see that progressive threats are vacuous. They’re words hurled to hurt, emotional outbursts. We see now that the monolith of progressive ideology is a facade, and that with even a modest push against it, it all comes falling down, revealing the petty, hate-filled, spiteful little bundle of broken souls hiding behind it.
#GamerGate matters because it showed that the rest of us have nothing to be afraid of.
Read More: Jimmy Wales Puts A Stop To #Gamergate Whitewashing On Wikipedia
