German Ban On Doom Finally Lifted 176
An anonymous reader writes "18 years after its debut, Doom, the game that almost single-handedly popularized the FPS genre (remember when we just called them Doom clones?) is finally seeing the light of legality in the nation of Germany. The lifting of the ban also applies to the beloved sequel Doom II. A release date has yet to be set. I recommend that Germans who have not found some way to play this game over the last 18 years, please do so upon its release. Despite its age, it's still fun as hell. (Pun very much intended.)"
Nazis (Score:2, Insightful)
This is a good move, but the fact that it was banned at all still tells me that the Germans have a problem with authoritarianism.
Re:Illegal speech is such a Nazi concept. (Score:5, Insightful)
The ban on speaking of them was bad enough that they finally realized that the gag on nazi 'symbolism' lead to German children who had little idea
Don't forget who wrote the German constitution after the war. The Allies were desperate to turn the German people into monsters and make them feel guilty for being German that even the word "Nazi" became associated with the foulest demons from Hell. Reality is that there were a very few fanatics running the show, and the rest of the sheep did what they were told. It becomes easy to do unusual things when everyone else is doing them. Then eventually when war started what choice did the conscript have when he was given a gun and put on a battlefield? Not every German soldier delighted in killing, nor is the joy of seeing a person die unique to the German people. I've seen more than one video of US troops hooting like drunk teenagers while watching humans being turned to hamburger by a variety of ordnance in Iraq and Afghanistan. What makes them different from supposed "war criminals"? While killing is an accepted part of war, you're not supposed to LIKE it.
Comment removed (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Er- why? (Score:4, Insightful)
while your point is right (truth is better), your view on germany is clouded by your patriotism.
first off, banning nazism is a law made by the allieds. as mentioned in replies.
second, most germans know what you are talking about and would share the same views. they do a lot of work to support minorities, try to keep radical politics down, base their strength on economy. every german is educated in school about the nazi regime. even without laws it would feel awkward to raise a swastika. it feels awkward for us europeans, that people in the states still do that.
germany migrated a western and an eastern world into one, while other ex-east-block countries still suffer, even the richer ones, like poland or hungary.
you see, hate is not a german problem. it's a human problem. and hate is only a medium how you get to people. its always power and wealth. greedy people in a system where power is unequally distributed tend to get exceptionally inhumane. atm. i would look closer at the states, where democracy is falling apart, and learn from germanies past, how fast that can lead into becoming eaten by the dark side. hate is just one of many tools of how people can be used by others. there were (and are) also camps in other countries, where hate had/has nothing to do with it.