I find it hard to believe that your family could starve to death just from some mistakes but I might be in the “too positively biased against AES” stage of my radicalization journey
No, I don’t think Arstotzka is modeled after any particular country.
However, under Stalin, workers were paid for their work based on a piece-rate system, meaning that if they didn’t hit the quota, they were paid less.
This, coupled with famines caused by the mismanaged production and distribution of food, like the one in 1933, could certainly lead to a working man not being able to provide for his entire family.
There’s no need for reactionary propaganda here.
Ah, didn’t realize this was lemmygrad 😅
Just out of curiosity though, which part of my comment do you consider to be propaganda?
Btw, by my understanding a “reactionary” is a person who seeks to restore an earlier political state of society. Wouldn’t that make people who want to return to the “good old days” under Stalin the true reactionaries?
The last paragraph referencing the Holodomor, which is a hoax, and as is refuted in the breakdown I linked. I haven’t looked into the various wage systems the Soviet Union experimented with so I can’t speak to that.
To be a reactionary is to seek to conserve the current structures of power, ie. to defend capital, and in so doing to oppose revolutionary and even non-radical progressive liberal movements. It is not reactionary at all to look back on revolutionary movements in a positive light.
You’re obviously just agitating, but I’ll bite.
A reactionary is defined by the OED as “a person who is opposed to political or social change”.
The propaganda you posted was about the famine in 1933. Read the link you were given. It’s an overused talking point with a grain of truth. It’s propaganda because it specifically blames communism for a natural disaster. And people who typically bring it up completely gloss over what was happening in capitalist north America at the time. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dust_Bowl
I might also argue that it’s not so much “if you don’t meet the quota, you’re paid less”, but more of “if you meet the quota, you’re paid more”. But that’s a matter of personal bias. I work in a capitalist country, and both statements apply to me. I would be more charitable with the socialist state, and probably use your statement to describe my job, but that’s my personal bias.
No, I don’t think Arstotzka is modeled after any particular country.
Are you sure? On the 29th/30th day, the border wall gets destroyed; which really gives me serious “Fall of the Berlin Wall” vibes.
Also, Arstotzka has “East Grestin” as one of its region names, and another country (Kolechia?) has “West Grestin” as one of its region names. Would be really surprising if neither of these were based off the GDR and West Germany respectively; despite having these details.
Stalin died in 1953 and people in the west also used to be paid by the piece in the 40s and 50s 🤨 my grandma was one of them in the 60s, it still happens in some industries to this day.
Papers Please takes place in the 80s, it doesn’t have anything to do with Stalin. Stalin is dead he can’t hurt you it’s okay.
The border and migration controls are something socialist states do to protect workers and their economies. The “your family will starve if you fuck up” or “our laws are inhumane and we don’t care; if you care you’re fired” are absolutely propaganda.
Lmao wut
Reading these comments is hilarious.
If any of you took two minutes to go to Wikipedia and actually read about the games design you wouldn’t need to make all of these assumptions.
Propaganda? Lmao It’s a little indie video game made by a guy in his spare time. If this is twisting all your panties in such knots I’m really afraid for you if you ever learn about the real world.
As one person who also makes things on my own, it is a big relief to know that everything I will ever make will be completely apolitical. As a individual person is apparently incapable of bias. Or…maybe not? I’m not really working in my spare time, maybe that’s the key to being non-political?
“Apoliticals” when people analyze a game and find political meanings behind it rather than mindlessly consuming it without any thought:
Did you even read the wiki or you just wanted to reply with anger for no reason?
Well, thank you for demonstrating how intelligent you are by completely missing the point.
Sounds like you’re the one who’s flabbergasted some people actually analyse the media they consume.
Nothing is made without intent, and that includes “subconscious” intent such as repeating propaganda you have internalised, whether you realise it or not.
If this is too difficult for you I’m afraid for you if you ever learn about the real world.
Analysis of what you consume is great. Except when you don’t actually analyze anything and instead just go full on rage without even understanding the product.
Not one person here even bothered to look into what the intent of the author actually was. That’s my point.
You all are obviously fine being angry ignorant circle jerkers. That’s your choice.
He crafted the fictional nation of Arstotzka, fashioned as a totalitarian, 1982 Eastern Bloc state, with the player guided to uphold the glory of this country by rigorously checking passports and defeating those that might infiltrate it.
What was it that you wanted to show us from Wikipedia? Actually forgot it. We don’t need to know.
Considering the amount of lies west put in their propaganda, it’s hard to be “too positively biased” for AES.