Im am not taking offense to your post, Boat.
There is no reason to do so.
I am not condemning Wehrmacht soldiers in general. My grandfather was tank commander at the Russian front, his brother was killed in France. I say that most Wehrmacht soldiers were NOT Nazis, just were victims of circumstances like so many soldiers on allied side as well - they lived at the wrong time in the wrong place.
however, SS units are something different. not all of them participated in those gruesome "special command jobs" behind the front. Nevertheless they tried to recruit their soldiers from dedicated Nazis, and thus had a much, much higher share of Nazis in their ranks. the SS must be seen as a dedicated helping organisation for faschist German government, and the great Führer himself, and SS-divisions as the military branch were specially equipped because of their great ideologic loyalty to the Nazis - the reason why it were SS units that almost exclusively were ordered to participate in special operations behind the front that supported the capture and genocide of Jews as well as conducting atrocities against civil population.
To have a simulation Allies versus Germans is okay, but you do not lose a single bit in historic knowledge or education if you leave out the glorification and respectful rememberance of dedicated Nazi symbology, and do not revive the questionable Kameradschaft in such faschist organisations. I would also say you do not learn anything valuable from playing such simulations. They do not educated you to answer the question of the why'S and How's of that time. They are no academic or otherwise a historic information input. They remain to be nothing more than a game. Games that in form of IL2 and SH3 I have played myself, yes - but without feeling a desire to relive explcit Nazi idealism. If you play a simulation and feel tempted to take part in this part of things, than you have a problem, and you have become a problem for others as well.
however, I eventually could even live with the historically correct painting of vehicles including swastikas. note that in Germany, SH3 and IL-2 versions of both sims run without display of these symbols, it is illegal here to display them, you could end up in prison for that. But the line beyond which my tolerance as a moderator here ends is when not only such textures are being used, but websites get called to life that glorify and artifically recreate Nazi ideology and Nazi organisations, as if it were just like any given ,military unit of WWII. SS units are not like any given military unit, like KZ guards do not compare to any given prison guard. they are a symbol for German faschism and the catatrophe it had brought over europe and Germany alike, they also are a symboli for German fanatism and the murderous basic attitude of german militarism. Again, i do not try to impose german laws here, since this is an international forum founded and owend by an American, Neal.
As moderator I must step in when I see something taking place that imo glorifies Faschism and Nazism,
and gives it a harmless appearance. I also do it not only as a moderator, but as a private person, for in my real life also do not accept or passively tolerate such display of Nazism or glorification of Nazism, and actively kicked people out at occasions.
I do not know if Schweitzer is a Nazi or not, too little postings by him to form an opinion on that. Maybe he is just easyminded and uncritical, which very well could be. That'S why I did not lock him away. but at least in this part of the forum the site he called up remains to be banned until Neal decides to bring it back online.
Anything else regarding this issue please via PM.
Thanks,
the management.