Game Mentality

[Disturbed]

Most Americans are geared toward a Game Mentality. Winners and losers. Winning or Losing. Winning is rejoiced. Losing is put in the memory hole.

Iraq and Afghanistan

Didn't the USA win these wars?

Iraq

Saddam was a threat with WMDs. No WMDs. Saddam is out of commission.

Win.

What were the goals?


Afghanistan

Al Quada was operating in the country. They are nutralized. The Taliba were supporting al Q. They are nuetralized.

Win.

What were the goals?

If these wars are not both a win then the American people don't want to be reminded of losers. Only winner are allowed to be talked about.

[sweetheart]

1. winning on video games

Surely you've played video war games before, no? Well, the goal
is to defeat the forces of your enemy totally, and then you win.

"you are victorious" the game will tell you... and the UN handles
all the dodgey stuff after that.

By the very fact that a civil war has no winners, bush's wars of
fratboy terrorism result in living with the losers in a "settlement".
Oh! settlement! What is that?

Football doesn't have settlements... the losers nurse their wounds
at the hospital whilst the winners head for the superbowl... what
is going on... a stellement!!! ;-)

Oh dear, our entire administration is ruled by teenagers who run
foreign policy from their X-boxes.

[Disturbed]

2. The wars.

Americans want these wars to be in the Win column. The complicated details of aftermath are not in line with the simple win or lose mind set. It's just terrorists in these defeated countries that are not willing to accept the reality of the win that is the small problem.
Americans are not gracious losers.

[BeFree]

3. Wins, my ass

Who says we won in Iraq? Hell, the game is still going on! (to use your phrase)

You bring up something else, however. The * family are like spoiled sports, who, when they can't win playing by the rules, make up their own rules as they go.

Wins? We ain't won nothing. Everybody is a loser with the * family.

[skygazer]

4. This is why I like music lessons vs. sports

Music teaches cooperation with others, hard work leading to a better end result, patience and an appreciation for the arts.

Sports teach competition, it's all about winning and, in far too many instances, how to cheat.

It saddens me that the music programs are always the first to get cut in schools and the sports programs the last. Don't misunderstand - I think there are good things that can come out of sports but there are also many negative things.

[Disturbed]

5. A bit of sarcasm, folks.

Yet, there may be some reality to the comparison of "Game Mentality" and war, ya think?

[skygazer]

7. Exactly

and that is why I think we should be teaching out kids different ways to learn. I was agreeing with you, not being sarcastic.

[wuushew]

6. Americans need to study game theory

I always feel that Democrats seek synergistic positive outcomes, while conservatives are just greedy assholes. No movie better exemplifies this than "A Beautiful Mind".

see below clip

http://www.haverford.edu/math/lbutler/GoverningDynamics.mov