That article is completely off-point. It has nothing to do with the topic under discussion. I can only suppose that jGilder failed to understand the irony in the ‘War is Good For You’ topic title and believes it is an assertion that actually needs to be rebutted with this otherwise entirely irrelevant copied verbiage.
On the topic under discussion - that is, the -psychological- effects of war, I’d have to say that I seriously question the validity of the study. I would very much like to know the comparison of those who have military training but never see duty in a war zone, vs. those who have military duty and -do- see duty in a war zone. And, of course, the comparison of those who see active combat and those who do not.
I only have one personal acquaintance who is a veteran of this most recent war, and I am certain that his mental condition is indisputably worse than when we were in college together, nor would he deny it. His anger and despair are really astonishing for someone who knew him before. Just for an anecdotal point, that doesn’t really prove anything, I know. He was active combat zone infantry, btw.
–Chris