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Old 11-26-2004, 12:00 PM
Gamblor Gamblor is offline
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Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Toronto
Posts: 2,085
Default A different kind of education

Israeli soldiers tasked with defending the country against terrorists are 18-21 years old.

They are scared shitless kids who have been given reason to suspect each and every person, from 14 year olds to pregnant women. Suppose you're an 18 year old soldier, it's your 6th month in the army, you're at a checkpoint, and a taxi driver (who just as easily could have a bomb as a falafel in his front seat) misunderstands your directions and continues to drive towards you? Now what if he reaches down to grab something from the front seat?

But more than anything, you have exactly ZERO idea how stressful it is and how hard it is to maintain rationality in these situations. Zero. Whether you were shot at yesterday and were this close to getting killed, or it's 40 degrees and you're in full fatigues and you've been up for 20 hours, or your girlfriend at home is crying because you're not there, or family problems (maybe your parents are getting divorced or something), maybe your commander ripped you a new asshole last night because you didn't prepare your unit properly for inspection, you're not thinking on the same level as someone sitting in front of a computer typing out posts on 2+2 who just cracked open a beer and got a blowjob last night from his girlfriend.
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