General Order #1B

[Greenday]

This single-handedly makes my experience in Afghanistan go from possibly awesome to "...Jesus, when the hell do I get a break?" I'll just list the main restrictions on us that it imposes:

• No alcohol
• No women allowed in my room without the door at least being cracked open
• No pornography (Sorry for the TMI but see the previous restriction)
• No sex in my bedroom (Though the office and lab are okay apparently)

Breaking any of these will result in your immediate termination (If you're a contractor) and being sent home...on your own dime. So let's recap. I can't have alcohol to just relax sometimes. I'm being treated like a kid in that I have to have my door open if I have a woman over (Technically, putting the doors lock into the lock position and just having it rest against the frame is enough but that's still crap). I can't have sex in the privacy of my bedroom (And as hot as having sex in the lab would be, I'd prefer not to get explosive residues on my junk). So since I'm basically not allowed to get any, I can't even satisfy one of my three basic needs by myself because I can't have porn. It's completely blocked on the internet. Try to get on it and you get redirected a screen saying that the website is of a banned category.

Just let me have some fun damnit!

[Ladeeda]

Can't you just wank to your own imagination? Surely it can conjure up enough pictures and scenarios to get the job done.

Works for me, anyway.

[Andara Bledin]

On the porn restriction, does that cover all varieties? Or would written porn be ok, and just visual porn is forbidden?

^-.-^

[Rageaholic]

God that just sucks. While I can sort of understand the drinking restrictions (or at least the reasoning behind it), I don't understand the others. What purpose could it serve other than to alienate those working for you?

What is it with people in charge making pointless restrictions? Don't they know it's only going to piss people off?

[AccountingDrone]

Unfortunately in the US we are still stuck with the heritage of out Puritain ancestors [I apologize for mine to all of you that want to have fun] They came to the us to be Holier than Thou [literally, they wanted to restrict the legal religion to one single one, theirs. Rhodes Island was founded by people running away from those jackasses.]

Anything involving recreational alcohol/drugs or sex was evil. Anything that took one's attention away from the Church was evil. Anything outside of Church Laws was illegal.

Unfortunately, many of the laws ended up baked into the new laws when the various colonies made it into the States. Hell, sex outside of wedlock really only became legal in the 70s, singles could and were charged with adultery. Miscegenation was illegal until the 70s in many states, and sex other than heterosexual was still illegal until the 90s in some states. We still don't have universal marriage [hetero or homo as desired] in all states. And nudity laws?

Married couples were not allowed to be housed in the same rooms in many retirement facilities, unmarrieds still are not allowed on base housing on most military posts.

I do not see why they can not let adults be adults. AS you said, I can see why no alcohol, but the fraternization restriction is stupid, the porn restriction is stupid. [actually seeing that you are probably neither muslim nor mormon, the restriction from alcohol is stupid.] I suppose a joint is right out too ....

[HYHYBT]

I strongly suspect you'll find you don't actually *need* porn for that.

Any idea why the change?

[Greenday]

Sure I could use my imagination but that's just not as fun.

The reasons for these rules are to maintain that we are always working capable (Which would make me understand the alcohol but a beer or two one make me incapable of working in an emergency). Also, it's so we don't offend the host nation (I'm not trying to change their culture and what I do in the privacy of my bedroom be it drinking or hooking up doesn't affect that).

Andara Bledin, it's both written and visual that are banned.

[Andara Bledin]

Bummer. Sucks to be you and pretty much everybody else sent over there.

I actually write porn as a hobby, so I never have any trouble with using imagined scenes, but I can see how this would have a deleterious effect on those who are more visually oriented.

Also, while one beer might not affect you much, there are people who would be completely unready for anything, much less work or combat, after less than that, and a blanket rule in such a situation is far easier to administer and enforce than otherwise.

^-.-^

[smileyeagle1021]

and sex other than heterosexual was still illegal until the 90s in some states.

*Ahem* 90's?
It wasn't until 2003 that Lawrence V Texas forced states to stop ENFORCING their laws against homosexual sex. They never actually forced the states to repeal those laws. To this day, there are still states (Utah included) that still have laws on the books outlawing homosexual intercourse.


Sorry for the OT, just had to correct that one.

[blas87]

I'm really trying to not be Debbie Downer here, but when we had foreign exchange students from Europe here (in high school), the 18 year old ones would throw fits that they couldn't drink or get into clubs (well, there aren't clubs here anway??) and they were a little shellshocked at how much more....modest (nice word there) America is.

Just saying it's to be expected. I am not saying you shouldn't be upset or feel the way you do. You have every right to be upset and to think it's stupid.

I was just offering some insight.

[Rageaholic]

The reasons for these rules are to maintain that we are always working capable (Which would make me understand the alcohol but a beer or two one make me incapable of working in an emergency). Also, it's so we don't offend the host nation (I'm not trying to change their culture and what I do in the privacy of my bedroom be it drinking or hooking up doesn't affect that).

Gah that must be frusturating.

I hate cultural bullshit, especially when it's used to justify making stupid rules and laws. It's fine and understandable that they want to live a more "modest" life, but what you do in your own bedroom should be none of their business.

[Greenday]

I knew I wouldn't be able to drink before going here. But seriously? No sex in my bedroom? No women allowed in my room without cracking the door? How old are we again? 13?

I'd also like to point out that those from other nations don't have to follow this order.

[DrFaroohk]

Sometimes I look at my life and realize I waste a lot of my time playing WoW or watching TV. Then I realize that what I do in my spare time is way more productive than some of these people. Someone has to sit around all day making up stupid rules like this, and they are the worst kind of people.

[Cat]

Sometimes I look at my life and realize I waste a lot of my time playing WoW or watching TV. Then I realize that what I do in my spare time is way more productive than some of these people. Someone has to sit around all day making up stupid rules like this, and they are the worst kind of people.

This is a great comment....and I may need to steal it at some point.

[Peppergirl]

I'd also like to point out that those from other nations don't have to follow this order.

Wait. What....the what?

So only Americans who are doing the job have to abide by the rules and not if, say, a British chap were doing the job? He wouldn't have to follow any of those rules?