Stupid Knee Jerk Reactions

[12DrinkMore]

Here's an example....

Bangkokpost/Monday August 18, 2008

Editorial

A dangerous game to play

One of the most shocking and sensational crimes in the recent news was the brutal murder of a hard-working family man by a 19-year-old high school student.

Polwat Chinno killed taxi driver Kuan Pohkang with his bare fists and knives in a grisly 2am plan to steal the hard-earned money of his victim. The media descended on this story of bloody murder when the killer confessed, but pleaded that a video game made him do it. Authorities took him at his word, issued a hasty ban on exactly 10 games and vaguely promised new restrictions further down the line. Far from showing concern, this reaction emphasised the huge gap between the real technology revolution and what the country's leaders appear to know about it.

First of all, it is most troubling that authorities and the media latched on so quickly and conveniently to the alibi of a confessed, vicious killer.

They were far too quick to accept the word of Mr Polwat. He is an adult who told police he planned and carried out a reprehensible killing for a small amount of money. His claim that the video game Grand Theft Auto made him commit the crime sounds more like a novel legal defence than a credible motive. Tens of millions of people around the world play that game - tens of thousands in Bangkok.

Early evening on any given day, the top floors of the city's many shopping malls are filled with youths playing a myriad of computer games - many of them violent.

An earlier ban on this particular violent game would not have saved the murdered driver. More to the point, there is no evidence or reason to believe the ban will save any lives in the future.

The Public Health Ministry quickly assembled a list of Top 10 Violent Games - not by research or reason, but by a quick Googling in which bureaucrats accepted the first hit, an obscure list from a local US politician trying successfully to get his name in the newspapers and his face on the TV news in an election cycle.

Such a ban is also self-defeating, since new games come on the market regularly. In any case, a police ban is only another business hitch to the video pirates and shop owners involved in underground distribution.

There are two challenges that linger in the wake of the bloody crime that robbed the family of Kuan Pohkang of a husband, father and dedicated bread-winner.

The first is to discover whether computer games and similar technology really can drive a disturbed person to murder, and what to do about that.

Even more important is to better inform the "old" generation about the technology revolution, of which video games are such a tiny part.

In this newspaper's technology section, Post Database, Nectec director Pansak Siriruchatapong suggested the government establish and fund an independent think tank, able to provide the country with information and recommendations on future developments. Weaker people, he said, can become so immersed in games they lose track of reality. Like many, Dr Pansak opposes outright censorship. That does not rule out regulation, however. Many countries have a ratings system of games. For example, Grand Theft Auto boxes and wrappers all carry a large, black M-for-mature.

The problem is most parents and few politicians have a clue about such things. Many are technologically illiterate. Mr Polwat's mother gave him 100 baht a day to play video games, but had no idea what he was doing - or what was happening to his mind in the process.

Authorities must take a more serious approach to the changes technology is bringing to our society.

A starting list of Stupid Knee Jerk Reactions, any more you can thing of?

- Bombs set of by mobile phones - SKJ-Reaction: All SIMS have to be registered.

- Thais drink to much alcohol - SKJ-Reaction: Ban alcohol sales between 14:00 and 17:00.

- Internet abuse - SKJ-Reaction: All data to be logged and traceable.

- Video Games cause violence: SKJ-Reaction: Ban 10 games.

[grantbkk]

Dude! Chill. This is Thailand. As soon as you heard murder and video game in the same sentence it was inevitable. It is just something we have to put up with in the LOS. I think the key is "think tank". Get a few "academics" and the media together and they will solve the problem of the day quick quick. They do not consider the consequences or care. The important thing is the sound bite and hard hitting article in the next days paper or news show. In this feudal society the people in power have to keeping shoveling the "surfs" something, anything to give the appearance something is being done about something. Each of the OP's examples are obviously geared to controlling the "surfs". I heard a new one recently. The stores are going to now have to face the brand labels of distilled spirits away from the customers to reduce alcoholism.

[RakJungTorlae]

Well if you not gonna blow stuff up and your not a full time drinker, your not going to go abusing people around the internet , and your not 10 years old to play video games whats the problem??

Ways around it?

Use a stop watch, buy your booze before hand, use a USB key with words you may use so you can copy and past them, the log will show up as Ctrl V. and fortune still sells these so called banned video games.

[mrcheshire]

Its a good thing thai authority didnt ban thai girls when the story about mr eeston came out! I was a bit worried there.

[mgjackson69]

This one from a couple of years ago...

- People throw water from the back of pickup trucks during Songkran - SKJ-Reaction: Impose a lower speed-limit on pickup trucks for the Songkran period

[mrcheshire]

That one makes sense. Harder to hit targets when truck is going to fast. Less water wasted

[girlx]

- Thais drink to much alcohol - SKJ-Reaction: Ban alcohol sales between 14:00 and 17:00.

I HATE THIS LAW! i always go to buy alcohol about 20 mins too early and have to stand there and wait.

[12DrinkMore]

- Thais drink to much alcohol - SKJ-Reaction: Ban alcohol sales between 14:00 and 17:00.

I HATE THIS LAW! i always go to buy alcohol about 20 mins too early and have to stand there and wait.

That is the problem I see coming. They pop these laws into effect in no time, but to rescind them later is almost impossible. So more and more stupid laws on the books.

With some of these laws I can more or less work out how the reasoning went, but regarding this particular one, I have no idea. Or rather, I can see the following conversation taking place.

"Our brothers and sisters are drinking too much, the press has had a few reports about Somchai being very drunk"

"Oh, dear, what shall we do?"

"Well, we have to consider the businesses involved, like your brewery, otherwise people might get upset. But we must still show that we are doing something"

"hmm, yes, maybe we can ban sales for an hour or two each day?"

"ahh, great idea, might work, so during what times do we sell the least?"

"Well, there is the morning peak to supply the lunchtime session, followed by a lull until Somchai wakes up and needs some more for the evening"

"ok, we'll fix the ban at 14:00 to 17:00 when Somchai is asleep, recovering from lunchtime"

"Great! We have a solution"

"oh, and if Somchai wakes up early, then we should allow him to buy 20 litres for the evening session at anytime!"

"OK, done, lets go and have a drink"

"Chock Dee, crap"