NYTimes article on the suppression of information on a Wikipedia page neatly encapsulates a dilemma of democratic nations at war. A cornerstone of a free society is an unfettered press, serving the public's right to know; on the other hand, global politics is a dangerous game that sometimes requires sleight of hand and control of information.

Via Slashdot Games, an intriguing editorial on the state of independent, digital wargaming. Produced by small development shops and sold almost exclusively online, these games are near-duplicates of old-school SPI hex-map cardboard-counter military simulations, sometimes souped up with online play or even (gasp!) 3D graphics. Party like it's 1971. For those unfamiliar, here's some opinionated history on the hobby that gave rise to D&D, and its major players (including the aforementioned SPI).

The U.S. Air Force has decided to spend over $200,000 to help build 17 online, multiplayer Xbox gaming centers at 14 bases, both large and small, across Europe.

According to the article, the primary purpose of the gaming rooms is to connect young airmen throughout the region, especially those transiting through Europe, and give them something fun to do during their downtime. The idea for building the online gaming stations on American bases emerged from focus groups conducted with airmen in Europe.

I personally think this is a great idea and disagree with the people who think this is just wasting taxpayer money. Gaming seems to be an easy and affordable way to quickly relaxed stressed-out soldiers while at the same time keeping their combat skills honed. I feel safer knowing my country's armed troops are playing Halo in their spare time rather than cruising the local Red Light district.

In fact, with shooters being so realistic nowadays, playing games such as SOCOM, Operation Flashpoint, and America's Army, could be considered simulated tactical training. America's Army even claims that their game is "an accurate portrayal of Soldier experiences" and "provides young adults and their influencers with virtual insights about the Army."

However, while all these realistic tactical shooters are good for the military, is it good for the nation and the world as a whole to have a generation of children trained by video games to have the shooting reflexes and combat skills of a professional soldier? Are we, as Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, former West Point psychology professor, claims, "teaching our children to kill"?

I don't know. All I do know is that when one of soldiers from the article suggested to his commander that the colonels from the different bases in Europe should have a commandwide Xbox deathmatch, the commander liked the idea but replied, “I’ll have to get some training.”

Good idea, since without rigorous training, the average American teenager could probably kick a US military commander's butt at Counter-Strike.