Ethics of pilots fighting for the sides in WWII

[proton45]

Of course the BF109 was a Nazi machine...it would never have been made, if not for the Nazi's.

The Luftwaffe may have been the least political of the military branches...but it still owed its existence to the policy's of the Nazi party.

The individual soldiers of the Luftwaffe may have had different (personal) views on the war and politics...but their machines where the property of the Nazi party (as the pilots where).

NOW on to the other issues...putting everything into context. The statement concerning soldiers that where "just following orders". This argument came from the war crimes trials...many, many officers, soldiers and Generals claimed to have been "just following orders". A major issue with this claim is that their are many people who felt that this statement was used as a convenient excuse to evade accountability. But still, this statement has caused many people to ask themselves the question, "what would I do?" This is a very personal question and I will NOT get into the details of my thought process...

NOW, we as gamers (and historians) enjoy the perspective and distance of an event that happened (some) 60 years ago. We enjoy and study the machines of war...the tactics, the historical accounts and other details of this history changing event. Many of us admire the technology of the war...but I would hope that this admiration for Axis technology was NOT enhanced by an admiration of Nazi policies. Their is also an aspect of cultural individuality that reveals itself in the planning and execution of the machines of war that is separate from the politics (somewhat separate_lol) of the government...Russian weapons are said to be like farm machines, German weapons are said to be "over engineered", and American weapons are mass produced for the everyman, ect...

I hate the Nazis...but I think the BF109 is a very cool fighter plane. A game like "IL2 1946" allows me to enjoy the thrill of flying a deadly (cool looking) killing machine like the BF109 (or FW190) without thinking about the historical politics (and atrocities) of the historical event. Its "just a game"...we as humans are complex muliti-layered organisms, and its up to each of us to decide for ourselves if we are comfortable with the idea of flying (and virtually killing) with a symbol of Nazi oppression.

Make no mistake...the German machines of WW2 where symbols of Nazi oppression...they where built with Nazi money, they where used to advance Nazi policy's, and they killed many people...

I would continue to detail the specifics of my views on this issue, but I think that the more intelligent of you understand my point. I'm needed for Thanksgiving preparations. A luxury I wouldn't be enjoying without "our" machines of war...which I also enjoy flying.