Erik Moeller wrote
No, the right thing to do is to tell this user to either abide by our rules or go away. This is not a matter of debate, it is a matter of fact.
I agree with the thrust of what Erik is saying (though not with this way of saying it). I think it's not hard to prove that edit wars damage the content of Wikipedia, in more than one way (neglect, concentration on peripheral points, sensible people keeping a safe distance). So any argument against eventual enforcement of tough policies must be in the terms that they may do more damage. I really don't see it - for most edit wars, and most users, stamping them out would just lead to sighs of relief all round.
Charles