Tuesday, May 26, 2009

The Morality of Red Team and Blue Team

I've been thinking about making this post for a long time. The thing that got me started today, though, was a though in the shower about Revelations (which Brick Testament seems to be doing a good job of illustrating) and some of the antichrist accusations I've heard. I'll probably cover that in a later paragraph.

I use the term "Red Team" and "Blue Team" to invoke the image of online team games. The trope is pretty well distilled in an exchange I remember from Red Vs. Blue that went something like this:
Red Team Member: "Sarge, why exactly are we fighting the Blue Team anyway?"
Sarge: Because they're BLUE!
That pretty well covers how I see a lot of Fundie squabbles. There's no real sort of morality, just a vicious desire to ensure their color team "wins". Don't criticize the Red Team members. Unconditionally and instantly forgive whatever a member of Red Team does, even if they don't display remorse or try to make amends. Red Team leaders can do whatever they darn well please, and criticizing them is tantamount to treason.

As for the Blue Team, well, any good they do is obviously a part of a sinister plan to recruit you, and never a sign of being genuinely good-intentioned. Peace treaties are a sign that the apocalypse is coming, and if you sign up, you'll be exterminated alongside the Blue Team for being in league with the Blue Flag. Efforts to outlaw discrimination by team color or restricting Capture the Flag to a board game on a debate table is no different from worshiping the Blue Flag. Those who abstain from Capture the Flag and wearing painted armor or claim there are no Flags are obviously in league with the Blue Flag and will obviously never help out a Red Player. Don't turn your back on the colorless, because obviously without a Team Captain to give them orders, they'll just be happy to act randomly and stab you in the back. They obviously believe that without a Flag to defend or capture, there's no point to anything.

The reason Revelations sped up this rant: I was thinking about some fundies claiming some of my YouTube favorites were a trinity of evil, as well as some claiming that Obama is the Antichrist because he's popular, talks about doing good things, and doesn't look Red enough for their tastes. In short, religion seems like it easily creates the old "Us versus Them" mentality and discourages seeing any good in Them.

9 comments:

MWchase said...

I dare you all to sleep after looking at this...

He actually did a really nice job with the nightmare fuel there.

Anyway, all of those sentiments are really obvious in Left Behind, as dissected at Slacktivist. He points out that talking about peace is seen as one of the True Signs™ of the Antichrist.

Bronze Dog said...

Now try to imagine if Gainax did the job.

MWchase said...

The nudity might make it a bit odd.

That, or having the animation budget run out.

(Our anime club watched Kare Kano and Gunbuster. Eesh.)

(Also, Lupin III: Red vs Green. Which I only bring up to mention that it lost steam after Nabeshin finished piloting Big O.)

Dunc said...

I don't suppose you ever read Orcinus? Sara Robinson has done some good articles on the psychology of authoritarianism over there, based on the writings of John Dean (yes, that John Dean and the work of Dr Robert Altemeyer. A good place to start would be Cracks in the Wall, part I: Defining the Authoritarian Personality. She's an escapee from the other side of the wall herself, so she has some insight into such matters.

DM said...

For "Loser" Randi and his little dirty underwear washer called "Phil Plait"...

I dare you to bring back the million dollar challenge...
______________________________
_________________

PIG FLU & THE ATHEIST APOCALYPSE:



the little lying blasphemers called “PZ Myers” and “Richard Dawkins” (Real Names?):


you sound eloquent, but there is no Truth to anything you say


even Jesus slaps you in the face…

_______________________________________

@}-,-`-.@}-,-`-.@}-,-`-.@}-,-`-.


http://nostradamus.atspace.com/


@}-,-`-.@}-,-`-.@}-,-`-.@}-,-`-.

Atheist? We can fix that...


Please keep your atheists in check, or we will…


no need to respond, you pigs...

and I want to point to this article about you annoying deluded scumbags:


http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-allen17-2009may17%2C0%2C491082.story


now read this

http://telicthoughts.com/disconfirmation-bias/

and see if you can understand how your own negative position is
something entirely negative...

and why this ATHEIST PURGE is going on as we speak...

and why you have brought the sky crashing down upon your own heads...

http://burningsmile.com/2009/03/24/plague-mask/

Bronze Dog said...

You know, I'm getting tired of you spamming my comment threads and chickening out of even the simplest conversations.

How about you try posting original thoughts instead of hoping Copy/Paste will make your claims true by repetition.

Anonymous said...

and why you have brought the sky crashing down upon your own heads...At last you reach your true level, Chicken Little.

Anonymous said...

Curse you 'left out by forgetful commenter'
tag.

Dark Jaguar said...

But there IS a blue flag, I seen it, that is to say I saw it. Once, long ago. I'll admit I was a little hazy that day due to multiple concussive blows from a rocket launcher, and my eyes were dizzy from the N-bombs being tossed around, and a cat was covering part of the screen, and it was early in the morning and I hadn't put my glasses on but I saw that flag!