Videogames and Socialism in America

Someone had conversed with me some months ago about how the Obama leadership is ushering America into the seemingly strange realms of socialism, an idea completely unheard of considering how libertarian of all is this country.

On second thought, why not? Democracy after all is not merely about freedom but also of constraints and controls to make these freedoms more mature and responsible, like for example ‘walking naked on the streets’ should be not freedom in the context of what true democracy is or should be.

This issues on freedom and democracy comes to my thought after I read this headlined legal case in California where the state government there is battling to maintain in force a prohibition for minors to have access on videogames that are deemed ‘violent’, those that particularly depicts “killing, maiming, dismembering, or sexually assaulting an image of a human being,”.

I can somehow empathize with the California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (the primary complainant of all persons would you believe) since I felt so uncomfortable watching my kids play those kind of games, specifically GTA San Andreas where the protagonist there maims and shoots down bystanders and even policemen.

We in fact had an argument with my wife and had made a consensus that the kids shouldn’t be playing such games.

In constitutional laws, freedoms can be minimized or curtailed using the Doctrine of Clear and Present Danger where rights and privileges are reined in if their unhindered use or practice could directly and palpably jeopardized state security and public peace and order.

Another legal maxim that is usually applied is the “Balancing of Interest” rule where the courts balances on whether the curtailing or allowing certain rights or privileges, of either entity in contending sides, could possibly be harmful to public interest or would it be beneficial.

The foregoing contentions would also be applicable to the present midterm elections in California where voters there would be voting whether or not they agree or disagree to legalize the use of marijuana in their state.

In conclusion, there is really no such thing as full-freedom democracy; every democratic state is practicing some form of socialism one way or another.