Guns and Ipods

I mentioned in another post that I would give my thoughts on security, so here goes...

Israel's security situation is obviously unique and foreign to Americans. A lot of people seemed alarmed when I told them I was coming here. Granted Israel does have some major existential threats that the U.S. does not have, everyday life here is fairly normal once you become adjusted to certain things.

For one, there are a lot of soldiers and guns here. I live in Be'er Sheva, which is the main city in the Negev Desert, and consequently the main transport point for all the soldiers going to the bases in the Desert, meaning every time you go to the bus station at least half the people are in uniform. It has gotten to the point where I barely even notice someone walking around with an assault rifle. It is normal here and no big deal. In fact, it is comforting, partly because I know that everyone here has extensive training in how to use said weapon. I cannot have this confidence with guns in the United States, because well I could go buy a gun right now and I have no clue how to use it/safety training. The only time I take notice of a gun here is when I happen to be sitting across one that is pointed at my groin and I pray that whoever is holding it made sure there is no bullet in the chamber.

Another thing that is different is that at every mall and many stores there is a guard who will check your back and most of the time wave a metal detector across the small of your back to make sure you are not armed. This was weird at first and has become normal and comforting. I would rather be in a mall than a store with no security guard.

Since I got here in the beginning of September there has been one terrorist attack here. An Arab, who had just had his marriage proposal shot down, rammed his car into a group of off-duty soldiers in Jerusalem. The incident was apparently random (there was no planning, no organization, etc.). It was unsettling to hear this, but at the same time so much messed up shit happens in America that does not happen here, so maybe it evens out. For instance, right when I got here there was a big deal about a 4-year old girl that went missing. It was an enormous deal here and it turned out that she was killed by her father. Again, it was a huge issue here and people were shocked and questioning what about their society could have caused such a tragedy. At home a kidnapping-murder rarely makes national news, yet stuff like this happens at an alarming rate.

On another note I just read an article about how the Iraq War has cost $1 Trillion, and what could have been bought with that many. Perhaps the most fun was that the government could have paved the entire Interstate Highway system with 23.5 Karat Gold leafing. Talk about awesome. Schools, schmools. The government could have also bought an ipod for every person on the planet. Picture this:

You're in a village somewhere in remote Iraq. You hate Saddam Hussein, but you hate the West more, because let's face it, the Europeans and America didn't exactly serve you well with the whole colonialism/I want to drive a f-ing huge ass Cadillac give me your oil thing. One day, out of the sky drops a package full of ipods. There's an American flag etched into the back (For free? Holy shit! Thanks Apple!). Loaded onto it is some Snoop Dogg, Dave Matthews, the iTunes song of the week, some crazy loud Arab music, a little bit of country and a bunch of other songs from all over the world (aw hell, we can even give them some Matisyahu). These songs would be free to Uncle Same, because every artist would want the entire world to have just one of their songs, imagine the album sales! How could you hate America then Mr. Iraqi. You just got an ipod that costs more than your whole goat herd, for free and just because. Don't worry, your village will figure out a way to charge them. Just like that, the world loves us and everyone gets to enjoy music. Not to mention Apple's stock soars through the roof.

Instead we dropped bombs, gave Al Qaeda more recruits than they can handle, fucked over Apple, and lost a great opportunity for everyone to act cool as they walked down the street listening to Gin n Juice.

Take it easy.

Jared