I don't mind discussions about war as long as people can be civil about it

I think it's a tough question, Pete, and I'm glad I'm not in your shoes on this one.  Ideally, I think Simviation should be a place like the Olympics (should be), where people from anywhere in the world can come and feel welcome, and not be held personally accountable for the actions of their country.  I almost said a sanctuary, but I'm sure some would think that's going too far.

But, as some have said, the war involves all our lives.  Also, the subject is totally intertwined with aviation.  My interest in modern military aircraft has increased about 50-fold since Desert Storm, just from all the exposure in the media.  And I don't think we should or could exclude discussions of aircraft in the current news.

Then there's your usual policy of being unrestrictive and not hung-up with a lot of rules.....

But I think we need to remember that only a tiny fraction of the world's people wanted the war to happen at this time if ever, and a minority of people in English-speaking countries.  (But, now that it's started, I think the majority of English-speakers may support it.)  I think we should at least try to hold down the blood lust (I haven't seen any, haven't read all the war topics yet), see the broader picture, and be respectful of people from all countries (not saying we haven't done this).

This seems to be shaping up as a long-winded version of Andrew's answer .

P.S.  I left my PC in "Reply" mode and didn't see Hagar's response before posting this.  I'll gladly accede to whatever decision is made, and I think the votes of the wiser, older hands should be weighed heavily .

I think maybe we should ban it Pete, as I reported the Tornado being shot down incident as I thought this would be important for us as aviation fanatics, and people used it to turn it into an American bashing session, even though I'd put in the message not to.
Probably best to loose the war talk and get back to flying.

Mark

Ban them...it's that simple.  All political posts used to be locked in a flash...why should it be any different now?

I think the "historical" wars are okay to debate, as they are over and done with, and the issues resolved one way or another. Although I'm sure for people like Romulus (a Vietnam vet.) it can be difficult (as someone who survived the first Gulf War and Irelands terrorism problems, including my own family I know), and we should be sensitive to the fact that a number of people here are veterans of various wars, but on the whole I think our historical debates tend to be positive, and frequently educational. I am often amazed at some of the things I learn here!
The trouble is that the current Gulf War is just that, current, in a years time when its all over, the dust has settled, and people have had time to reflect and feel less passionate about what is happening, then I'm sure it will be a welcome topic here. I locked off my Tornado topic because it was upsetting a number of our American members, and it shouldn't have. I clearly stated that no-one was to blame. War has its cock-ups unfortunately. Believe me I've seen them with my own two mince-pies!!!

Mark

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Exactly. I remember the days back in november when a certain member (I won't mention his name, but he called himself after a hard shelled amphibious reptile) kept starting political posts which caused huge fights.

I made the point in the Cafe that because we all have mixed opinions about the war, we should keep our opinions to ourselves to not upset anyone. I also feel that people who are not directly related with the war (people of nations who chose not to participate) do not have the right to make comments as it is none of their business. However if you wish to report war updates, that is fine as long as they are unbiased and contain no personal opinions.

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I agree. Don't allow any discussions on the current war for a while.

And also, As long as we're civil, I think we should still allow topics on previous wars like WW1 & WW2 which are fascinating, because i've sure learned a lot!

I can't remember ever seeing a WW2 discussion get locked from a flame war, they're mostly locked from getting too big!