Students of international politics, especially in Canada and the US, wonder whether the show, by stressing the role of sheer brutality, encourages a“realist” vision of the world. Could the savagery featured on “Games of Thrones” – including abundant beheadings, rape, and sexual torture – have helped to encourage the tactics of, say, Boko Haram and the Islamic State? Or could the series – in which violence often begets more violence, but does not necessarily get the characters what they want – actually be highlighting the limits of force?
Idiot students of international politics wonder if Game of Thrones has encouraged jihadis to be brutal murderers.
Or do they think we should properly rate such shows as "J: May Cause Jihadi Mayhem"?
And if it is true that China's elites draw comfort from House of Cards that our system is as brutal as their system, we have more problems than mirror-imaging when we try to predict what they might do.
UPDATE: Thanks to Stones Cry Out for the link.
