Ethics of pilots fighting for the sides in WWII

[Skoshi Tiger]

Do all philosophers have an 'S' in them?

In my opinion one of the biggest tragedies of the war is that even till this day there are people whose lives and the lives of their families are still ruined by events and actions that they experienced over 70 years ago.

Time heals all wounds. Unfortunately in some case this takes longer than others. For some hatred of the 'enemy' still consumes their lives and effects the decisions that they make in their lives. Will any discussion we have here be able to change that? No.

IL2 is a computer game, nothing more or less. I tend to fly red more often because I have a great deal of respect for the men who came together from around the world to fight for freedom and preservation of their way of life, which I can enjoy the benefits of now.

Does this stop me from flying Blue to even out numbers, Hell No! I get more kills in Blue aircaft because 10 years of Luft-Whiner pressure has porked the balance of the game in Blues favour! (SK starts building a sand bag wall and waits for the incoming assault - I'm joking of course!)

Should I hate the French because the Vichy Government sent the Foreign legion to North Africa, or the modern Japanese because their military regimes involvement in New Guinea and the South West Pacific? Deep in my heart I just can't bring my heart to it. If veterans like my dad can forgive (but not forget) their enemies, then who am I to feel any different.

Some may find it hard to understand but I can respect the skill, daring and sometime chivalry of pilots from all sides of the conflict at the same time as detesting and despising the system and atrocities that were allowed to occur. The governments and regimes that allowed those atrocities to occur were destroyed a long time ago.

Anyway that’s my 2 bob's worth

Cheers!

[ATAG_Dutch]

Originally Posted by Skoshi Tiger

Do all philosophers have an 'S' in them?

Emmanuel Kant was a real pissant who was very rarely stable,
Eidegger, Eidegger was a boozin' beggar who could drink you under the table,
David Hulme could out-consume Schauffenheur and Hegel,
And Lichtenstein was a beery swine who was just as sloshed as Schleigel.

And apparently Socrates was a bugger when pissed.

So not all of them. Plato is another.

My opinion, for what it's worth, is that we fly this particular flight sim to simulate not just combat flight, but also historical events of the past.
We may even yearn to have been involved at the time, or wonder whether we'd've been capable of the feats and achievements of our respective forebears.

Or simply wonder what it would have been like to fly some wonderful machinery for 'the other side'.

This doesn't imply that all Blue team members are closet Nazis or potentially sadistic Imperialist Samurai, or that all Red team members are closet Communists or British Empire snobs or gun-toting Yankee Rednecks. Just that they'd like to find out what it was like to fly for them.

As far as political affiliations are concerned, depending on where you were born, you'd more than likely have been steeped in your contemporary National culture like the rest of your generation and therefore a choice of allegiance would have been pretty much closed to you. You may even have agreed with most if not all of it's attitudes and philosophies.

What I do know, is that when 'Storm of War/Cliffs of Dover/What-Ho Fritz, and Tally-Ho!' does get released, you won't see me in a 109.

[moilami]

Originally Posted by Dutch_851

What I do know, is that when Storm of War/Cliffs of Dover/What-Ho, Fritz and Tally-Ho! does get released, you won't see me in a 109.

lol'd. HARD!

[Richie]

I think it will be a lot like IL-2 was in 2001. Things will be very new and exciting again. I think I'll go on a bender for a day or so lol. After all..all the old hands have been waiting six years for this.

[moilami]

Originally Posted by Dutch_851

As far as political affiliations are concerned, depending on where you were born, you'd more than likely have been steeped in your contemporary National culture like the rest of your generation and therefore a choice of allegiance would have been pretty much closed to you. You may even have agreed with most if not all of it's attitudes and philosophies.

I am very glad someone understands stuff. Many would simply refuse to understand that because their ego is built on illusions of racial, national, and ethical supremacy which I like to call simply "holier than thou" hallusination. Like this: "No, I am not like Iraqies. I am $holier_than_thou."

We people are very similar around the world. What makes us "different" is the culture which has shaped us.

[Friendly_flyer]

Originally Posted by Dutch_851

What I do know, is that when 'Storm of War/Cliffs of Dover/What-Ho Fritz, and Tally-Ho!' does get released, you won't see me in a 109.

Me neither. You may find me in a 110 though, I prefer the underdog.

[el0375]

really tahnk to all of you. one of teh most constuctive threads i have been trhough! Most of them can i say give the real picture without any prejudice and makes many aspects clearier.

Really enjoy that most of this comes around of il2 not because is a ''game'' but a kind of method to get a glimpse of how was to be at that time.
i think teh highest peak of such thing was Silent Hunter 3 with GWX full realism. In teh uboats the tension wa svery high! on 3 and more occasions i spent 3+ hours just to avoid a ship pinging me and sinking me. Thats was teh most autehntic 'simulated' fight for survival that i ever had.

Remember also the great teamwork dogfight that i had 1 or 2 years ago with some 4S freccia and Veltro where we kept formation and used teamspeak we could manage to kill many planes.. Memorable when we flew at high altitude and strafed one at a time a poor foe with good, short shots at it and get tehn altitude, and let the other team mate attack.

[BadAim]

I think the good naturedness of this thread comes down to the fact that this game attracts a lot of history buffs. I think that in spite of vastly different backgrounds and worldviews we share a respect for the common warrior. I suppose it's the least we can do, right or wrong, they shaped the world we live in.

[ATAG_Dutch]

Originally Posted by BadAim

I think the good naturedness of this thread comes down to the fact that this game attracts a lot of history buffs. I think that in spite of vastly different backgrounds and worldviews we share a respect for the common warrior. I suppose it's the least we can do, right or wrong, they shaped the world we live in.

Agreed on all counts.

[Richie]

+1