You are parachuted into Afghanistan, You and a Taliban freedom fighter meet in the desert, none of you have any weapons, only food and drink to share and there is nowhere to go. You both speak the same language. Would you preach or listen?
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LEFTANGLE
ANSWERS: 9
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That's a really interesting question =) I wouldn't have anything to preach - I would just listen and chip in. Whatever I have to say isn't going to convert the more ideological of the Taliban members, and nothing I could do or say could help or sway the less ideological, more accidental, Taliban members. I think it would take far more than just one chance meeting, and who knows I could piss him off and turn him more extreme! I don't have the best way with words!
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I'd listen. What other opportunity would I get to interact with someone with such a totally different culture to mine. I'd be interested to find out what brought him to the Taliban & why some Muslims are sooo pissed off at the west (I have my theories). No doubt at some point I would try to put our argument across but that never really works with anyone who holds an extreme view.
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I would listen and I hope that I would also be heard. I mean listen too, not wait to speak! Whilst I may have signed up to the military I wouldn't get to choose my war - I would go where I was sent to fight for my country. The freedom fighter will have chosen this route and it would be of benefit to both of us if we could understand the stance of the other; who knows, maybe we could even initiate or contribute to negotiations in the future ;0)
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I'd call upon Santa Claus to bail me out. Because there is no such thing as a Taliban Freedom Fighter. The Taliban had control over Afghanistan and they did everything they could to eliminate freedom in Afghanistan.
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You wouldn't be doing either. He'd take you to his buddies and they'd chop your head off so everyone could see it on the internet.
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Listen. I think 2 rational men should be able to break bread together. Maybe the rational part might be a problem.
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I would, of course, endeavour to do a bit of both. But there is a problem: the Taliban has beliefs based deeply on his religion which are in conflict with mine, based on materialistic atheism. It is difficult to see where a discussion can start. He says "God said, through His Prophet..." and I say "He doesn't, because He doesn't exist...". We come from such fundamentally different starting points that it is difficult to see where we will ever find common ground from which to start a discussion. We don't speak the same language even if we use the same words@ they mean different things to the two of us.
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I'd choke them with their own sand; then I'd listen.
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BEAT his ass, split the food and drink, and strike him hard on a sensitive part of his body each and every time he speaks anything other than his name at any other time than when he is asked. Hold him until US/Coalition forces arrive. Same for a woman, but not as intense. No reason to destroy more than what's required by the mission.
Moongrim 
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