Kotaku Comes Out As Anti-American, Attacks U.S. Military, And Describes Recruitment As An “Inherently Predatory Act”
Kotaku, a website that was originally part of the Gawker Media network and now owned by G/O Media, has openly declared that they are anti-American by attacking the U.S. military and describing recruitment as an “inherently predatory act.”
In an article titled “U.S. Navy Tells Its Twitch Streamers To Respond Like Whiny Cowards When Asked About War Crimes” by Ian Walker, Walker discusses new training materials the U.S. Navy is providing to its streamers when they are asked, “What’s your favorite U.S. war crime?”
The question was popularized in the gaming media after writer Jordan Uhl claimed in The Nation that he was banned by the U.S. Army on Twitch for asking the question. Uhl would go on to claim that the military was using Twitch to target “children in unstable and/or disadvantaged situations.”
Uhl added, “Recruiters take advantage of the poor seeking steady income, the vulnerable longing for stability, and the undocumented living in fear because of their citizenship status.”
The Nation article would lead to Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez proposing an amendment to H.R. 7617, a bill for “making appropriations for the Department of Defense for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2021, and for other purposes.”
Her amendment would prohibit “the use of funds for military recruitment via Twitch and e-sports activities.”
The amendment failed.
As for the training documents, they were recently shared to Twitter by On The Media reporter Michael Loweinger who claimed he acquired the documents through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.
In the documents, the U.S. Navy is instructing their streamers to respond to the question “What’s your favorite U.S. war crime?” in four different ways.
The first is, “I understand that some people here oppose the military and have no interest in a Navy career. But for those who are curious about what it’s like to serve, let’s talk.”
The second is, “I am here to hang out with people like me who love gaming. If you want to know more about my life in the Navy. I am happy to discuss. But I will not speak on behalf of others.”
Next is, “If you have concerns about Navy policies or actions, I suggest you contact the Federal Elected Officials from your state.”
Finally, the last response is, “I’m here to play games. I have no interest in engaging in personal attacks.”
Kotaku’s Walker would describe these responses as “whiny and feckless.” Not only that but he claims they U.S. Navy is asking its streamers to “act like complete f***ing babies about it.”
Not only did the FOIA request provide answers to “What’s your favorite U.S. war crime?” but it also provided a “Response Decision Tree” for when a user comments on the stream.
As you can see above, the tree does instruct its streamers to “address all questions in a timely manner.” The only time they are specifically instructed to not answer a question is if the question does not meet community guidelines.
Loewinger would also reveal guidelines on how streamers should conduct themselves. The guide encourages streamers to “share your personal stories of your time in the Navy.”
It also instructs them to “confirm that you are speaking from your own experience, not for the Navy as a whole and that every Sailor has his or her own story.”
Finally, it instructs streamers to “utilize appropriate emotes where and when it makes sense.”
While Walker’s initial hate would be directed at the U.S. Navy’s guide, he would make it perfectly clear he has an issue with the U.S. military and armed forces as a whole.
He would describe military recruitment as “an inherently predatory act, not to mention one that overwhelmingly targets those from poor and minority backgrounds.”
Interestingly, the Council on Foreign Relations reports that “middle class overrepresented among recruits.”
The chart below shows the breakdown of recruits based on neighborhood income level.
And as for Walker’s claim about recruitment targeting individuals from “minority backgrounds,” the Council on Foreign Relations reveals that nearly 80% of all members of the U.S. military are white.
Despite this information, Walker continued his anti-American attack on the U.S. military describing U.S. armed forces as “an organization that murders and rapes its way through sovereign nations in our names.”
Walker then described U.S. armed forces as a “force for evil in this world.”
Finally, Walker concluded his article writing, “It’s almost as if they plan to continue committing war crimes in perpetuity, hoping that a few streamers shouting, “Poggers!” as they mow down virtual insurgents in Call of Duty can continue to provide grist for the meat grinder.”
What do you make of Kotaku’s anti-American publication and Walker’s attack on the U.S. military?
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