Prince Harry And Taliban Argue About Whether War Is Like A Video Game

20 responses to “Prince Harry And Taliban Argue About Whether War Is Like A Video Game”

1. 

   ash

   January 23, 2013 at 11:49 am

   He was talking about piloting a helicopter in particular, not the act of war. I don’t have a problem with his comments.

   Reply
2. 

   leigh

   January 23, 2013 at 11:59 am

   I once heard an ex-fighter pilot who served during the Korean War describe it like this.

   You are bringing a weapons system to bear upon a target.

   That’s it.

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   1. 

      cj

      January 23, 2013 at 12:05 pm

      See I read a book written by A British apache pilot. He found the experience quiet different.

      Reply
      1. 

         ash

         January 23, 2013 at 12:17 pm

         Please elaborate.

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         1. 

            cj

            January 23, 2013 at 12:26 pm

            Well the being a helicopter he had a much closer view of what they were doing. Further enhanced by the zoom on his targeting systems. Add to that the 30mm rounds he was typically firing at people and you get a huge ugly mess of pieces.

            After one engagement they were left giving over a small island now red with their target hearing they may of just killed civis. Thankfully they hadn’t but those brief moments affected him for the rest of his tour.

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            1. 

               cj

               January 23, 2013 at 12:28 pm

               Book is Apache Dawn by Damian Lewis.

            2. 

               vaegrand

               January 23, 2013 at 9:53 pm

               OMFG HOW DO I BECOME A HELOCOPTER!!!!!

3. 

   cj

   January 23, 2013 at 11:59 am

   Welp didn’t think I’d agree with the Taliban.

   Reply
4. 

   SF

   January 23, 2013 at 12:25 pm

   I think you’ll find like “ash” pointed out already that if you read the article you’d realise that he pointed out his thumbs in the statement and nothing else. He did not compare the “act of war” nor any of the missions he partakes in to them (video games) only that having played video games has lent itself well to the familiarity of the control surfaces and the hand eye coordination that is required to use them within the AH-64. when will people stop to think before they cast judgement upon what they believe someone to have said and what they “want” them to have said…

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   1. 

      cj

      January 23, 2013 at 12:30 pm

      That may be true, but given the situation and his position he should of been more clear in what he was saying.

      Reply
      1. 

         SF

         January 23, 2013 at 12:36 pm

         One statement from an interview miscontrued by a reporter hardly constitutes Harry to have been anything but clear, as “barry” says also, a reporter gets to choose what he prints not Harry. I don’t believe it’s Harry’s job, royalty or not to make sure he holds the hand of the Taliban the Telegraph or you and I through his own statements. That’s what an individuals intelligence is for, that’s why some of us are offended by the statement and others take it for what it is.

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         1. 

            cj

            January 23, 2013 at 12:59 pm

            I’ll agree with you that the media is most likely taking what it likes out of context. However, I won’t retract my earlier agreements with the radicles. As generic and obvious statement it is I agree with it. But I suppose is just them taking the chance to earn support via easy propaganda. Furthermore I disagree that pilots, less likely jet, can remain so disjointed from what they are doing.

            Reply
      2. 

         gorzilla

         January 23, 2013 at 12:50 pm

         I agree with you there but remember we are only hearing two sentences of an entire conversation. To me it seems clear he’s just saying it’s nice that the dexterity attained by playing video games is cross skill compatible with the number of controls you need to operate to fly a combat helicopter.

         Without much context though It’s easy to miss that especially if the quote is then being translated to another language.

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         1. 

            SF

            January 23, 2013 at 2:12 pm

            I also agree with what you’ve said “gorzilla” but if those of us who haven’t completely understood or chosen to misrepresent it with or without context in their “native” language react and write as they have it doesn’t bode well for a translated version right from the get go I think? Although there at least seems to be a ew of that have thankfully!

            Reply
5. 

   barry

   January 23, 2013 at 12:28 pm

   I think you’ll find this has been taken out of content and he wasn’t referring to the actual war and killing to a video game but then again, media will take something and switch around to something else to make money.

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6. 

   darkzombie777

   January 23, 2013 at 12:41 pm

   Oh look, its another “Patricia outrage article” about a non-issue. Do you miss the obvious intentionally or do you just enjoy looking like an idiot?

   He was talking about piloting an Apache and I can’t believe you actually saw fit to include the opinion of one of the worlds worst terrorist organisations, as though what they think is relevant.

   Since Harry is an apache pilot and a prince, I’d say he’s much more educated than a kotaku writer who isn’t capable of producing a single relevant article which doesn’t consist outrage over non-issues and an opinion which nobody actually cares about.

   Get it together.

   Reply
7. 

   unclebob

   January 23, 2013 at 12:45 pm

   I am curios; do you guys go to some form of journalism school?
   That same question can go out to the The Telegraph.
   I would assume that part of that education would be about fact checking.
   Part of that would be to read the full interview so you get the actual context of a quote, and not its deliberate inflammatory misuse.

   “Is war like a video game? Prince Harry of Wales thinks so. Earlier today, The Telegraph reported that Prince Harry compared piloting an Apache to playing a video game.”

   Your opening sentence is equally inflammatory. You bend the truth as well.
   You open by saying that the Prince says a video game is like war, and the following sentence says he “piloting” to a video game, NOT “war”.

   This is doubly stupid as your own publication – Kotaku ran an article covering the subject of the Prince playing games this morning and put that section into its correct context.
   I suggest you read it, I suggest The Telegraph read it.
   http://www.kotaku.com.au/2013/01/prince-harry-thrashed-fellow-troops-at-fifa-while-in-afghanistan/#comment-1024792

   Facts, never leave home without them.

   Reply
   1. 

      unclebob

      January 23, 2013 at 12:46 pm

      Sorry, i missed the word “compares”

      says he compares “piloting” to a video game, NOT “war”.

      Reply
8. 

   zico

   January 23, 2013 at 1:08 pm

   Perhaps it’s time for kotaku to start addressing criticisms aimed at it. Some of these comments carry some pretty heavy truths.

   Reply
9. 

   Steneslore

   January 23, 2013 at 9:11 pm

   Sorry is this the same Taliban that throws acid in the faces of teenage girls, bans music and dancing, and uses retarded people as suicide bombers?

   It’s pretty rich for them to talk about reality when they believe a god in the sky wants them to kill and oppress people.

   Reply