I already know I might get myself into trouble once again by posting this, but I just replied to
@MauriceWeber42
, a German journalist who is affiliated with the German outlet 'Gamestar'. I do think it's especially important these days that we always remind ourselves to try to keep an open mind and try to understand even those who think differently than we do. Here's my response to him complaining about people who are apparently fed up by 'Woke Culture': "I think it all makes sense, Maurice. This is basically a backlash against cancel culture and similar phenomena because everyone has had enough of that nonsense. I’d suggest you take a more nuanced view, especially since you position yourself as a journalist. Yet, you often display a narrow-minded attitude and don’t seem to question what’s actually going on. And that is something we should expect from a journalist! Just because you personally haven’t been affected by cancel culture doesn't mean there hasn’t been a lot of foolishness happening, and it's still ongoing. And it’s only a matter of time before it impacts you, too. Consider this famous statement: 'First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.' Instead of allowing artists to just be artists, Hollywood and most of the game developers on the West Coast have decided that it's appropriate to use films and video games as platforms to push their own political agenda. If you argue otherwise, I would expect a journalist like you to back it up with thorough research. Moreover, it's become the norm to point fingers at others, particularly at those who may think differently from us. Rather than allowing others to be different and listening to them regardless, we attack them outright. It’s frankly eerily reminiscent of old Nazi tactics. Anyone who doesn’t conform is ridiculed, and it’s suggested they be shamed, fired, and have their careers destroyed. This has been the approach over the past few years, and I know plenty of people whose careers have been devastated by trivialities and misinformation, and they continue to suffer today. You seem unaffected, and thus you refuse to consider a more open perspective. Your apparent lack of empathy in this matter is not only unhelpful but also shows a considerable amount of ignorance. Allow me to also play critic for a moment: At Gamestar, you do the same thing. Instead of cleaning your own house, you wield the ‘We report and earn from our articles, but beware, those guys are the real villains!’ narrative, just to ensure the spotlight never falls on you, aligning yourselves just so. That’s precisely why we’ve cut you off; we find such morally dubious practices unacceptable and refuse to support them. You lack the initiative to conduct your own journalistic investigations, as it seems too much work when the next clickbait article is due the next day. The sad thing is that young journalists like yourself never knew anything else. The more outrage you generate, the more clicks you get, and that’s how you make your living—at the expense of others, which apparently doesn’t matter as long as you're seen as the good guys. I hope in the future you will approach the world with more skepticism and openness, and truly consider both sides instead of aligning yourself with one to amplify their propaganda." It is deeply, deeply important after everything that happened over the past couple of years that we always question hidden agendas, always try to be loving and show understanding even to those we vehemently disagree with. Proper discourse is more important than ever. And journalists need to understand their responsibilities in all this and start acting like journalists again.
Soon there will be another game journo who says something stupid and then another one and so on.
