- Banned
- #141
When I lived in Beirut, I had absolutely ZERO protection from any government and I was on totally detached duty from the US Navy. US Military personnel assigned to the US Embassy lived in gated complexes and were driven everywhere in armored cars with armed guards. On the other hand, as a UN employee, I was not allowed to even carry a weapon. There were never any guards to protect me. I drove a white Passat and lived in a tiny walk up apartment until the building across the street that housed the Iranian news agency was blown up, the debris destroyed most of my apartment and my stuff so I moved to another equally unsafe apartment closer to the harbor for no reason other than it was that much closer to a potential escape route if the city came unglued. In both apartments, I had muslim neighbors. In both apartments, I was nearby muslim shops and markets and schools and clubs.... and I socialized with many many muslims on a frequent and routine basis. To this day, I routinely correspond with several arab friends I made during my time in the middle east.
Now I know you hate to admit it, but given all that, which one of us probably has a better first hand understanding of what the muslim world is like, what their dreams and aspirations are and what their views of the United States are?
