Ludology, a great resource for interesting stuff on video game theory, has a somewhat cranky post up (dated Feburary 1) about that Iraq GI action figure kidnapping hoax from last week.

It starts thusly: "Things are incredibly fucked up in Iraq, no matter what CNN tells you."

Ooookay. Yeah, every time I need my daily dose of Pentagon propaganda, the first thing I do is tune into CNN's comfortingly panglossian coverage.

Search CNN.com on "Iraq", and the first stories actually about what is going on in the country are crazily positive ones like this, this, and this.

Right, but stuff about the U.S. and the troops is definitely sunnier than Death Valley at high noon, right? Sure, as this piece clearly proves.

"Probably people react in strange ways when arrogant pricks invade their country."

This strikes me as an odd thing to say the day after landmark elections that came off far better than anyone realistically expected. It is also simply a really mean thing to say about the tens of thousands of men and women who have been busting their asses every day to try to make things better for a country that has only known war, oppression and suffering for most of the last 30 years.

Does that descriptor apply to people like Chief Wiggles? Just wondering.

"Still, the use of a toy soldier is so symbolic that it could perfectly work as an artistic statement."

Get it? Like, the soldiers are just toys, man. Toys of The Man! It's not like these people actually asked to join the Army or anything...

Ludology should stick to what it does best -- highlight the latest scholarly musings on video game design and play. Hold the politics, please.