Paying out money to terrorists/ISIS in exchange for hostages' lives?

[hangfan91]

Say you were in Japanese PM Abe's shoes and ISIS threatens to kill two of your country's citizens if you do not give them 200M or however much money, would you pay them so they may release the hostages?

Why or why not?

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Paying the money would only guarantee that they take more hostages.  It's a hard lesson that some countries desperately need to learn.

[Cory]

Paying the money would only guarantee that they take more hostages.  It's a hard lesson that some countries desperately need to learn.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

^^^^^

I'd like to hear a reasonable argument FOR doing it, since I think this would poll 95% against.

[Rockefeller GOP]

Paying the money would only guarantee that they take more hostages.  It's a hard lesson that some countries desperately need to learn.

[Insula Dei]

Paying the money would only guarantee that they take more hostages.  It's a hard lesson that some countries desperately need to learn.

Because right now ISIS wouldn't dream of kidnapping (or buying) U.S. citizens?

[politicus]

Paying the money would only guarantee that they take more hostages.  It's a hard lesson that some countries desperately need to learn.

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

Geez, I'm the only Yes voter still? Slightly ashamed. Ayn Rand would probably bash me in for thinking so emotionally - an extreme rarity on my part. With proper strategy, I can't say it would be horrible though. It just needs to be extraordinarily well planned.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Yes, I agree with everyone else that not paying is objectively the right thing to do. On the other hand, it's the kind of position that's very easy to take in the abstract but certainly a lot harder when you actually have to make that choice and decide about the life and death of a person. So the "well, duh!" attitude displayed in this thread is a bit irritating.

[swl]

If there is no other option to save them, yes on the principle, their lives are more important than money and I disagree with the idea of not doing everything to save my compatriots. After it depends on what exactly they are asking for, 200M is way too much.

Paying the money would only guarantee that they take more hostages.  It's a hard lesson that some countries desperately need to learn.

It all depends on the value you put on the lives of your compatriots... Israel sometimes exchanges one Israeli for hundreds of Palestinians.

[Intell]

Yes, I do not want a innocent human life to be gone.

[ingemann]

In principle I'm against, in reality I would look at it case to case. It's not like ISIS would stop kidnapping Americans or other Westerners in the Middle East if ransoms wasn't paid.

[Boston Bread]

No, this rewards terrorism in my mind and they'll use the money to kill and kidnap yet more victims.

[Deus Naturae]

How much does the "they'll just kidnap more hostages" argument actually apply in Abe's case? I can't imagine that ISIS will have many more opportunities to get their hands on Japanese citizens.

[ElectionsGuy]

Of course not. That would be supporting murder and they wouldn't save lives anyway, they would just fake people out and kill more people.

[Nichlemn]

Another factor is that $200 million is way too much, considering the statistical value of life (which correlates to how much you can spend to save an extra life) is more like $5-10 million in rich countries. We shouldn't put a lot of effort into saving people just because they have visible faces and names.

Because of this though, I'd find it much trickier if it was only $200k or so. In that case, it passes a crude cost-benefit analysis, but I'm not sure how much it would affect incentives.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Paying the money would only guarantee that they take more hostages.  It's a hard lesson that some countries desperately need to learn.

It all depends on the value you put on the lives of your compatriots... Israel sometimes exchanges one Israeli for hundreds of Palestinians.

Which I think is a mistake on their part, albeit a very understandable one.

[anvi]

Someone needs to invent a special kind of cash that can be remotely detonated.

But seriously, if I were a state official faced with the decision, I wouldn't do it.  But if I were a private individual and they had my kid, I'd probably beg everyone I knew, including the head of state, to help raise the money. 

[Cory]

Jordan has some ideas on how to deal with this: Kill our airman and will will execute all Islamic State prisoners. I have to admire the tenacity.

Pardon the source:

http://www.sundayworld.com/top-stories/news/jordan-says-it-will-hang-all-its-isis-prisoners-if-pilot-is-executed

[Frodo]

Paying the money would only guarantee that they take more hostages.  It's a hard lesson that some countries desperately need to learn.

[Türkisblau]

Paying the money would only guarantee that they take more hostages.  It's a hard lesson that some countries desperately need to learn.

[H. Ross Peron]

Paying the money would only guarantee that they take more hostages.  It's a hard lesson that some countries desperately need to learn.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Paying the money would only guarantee that they take more hostages.  It's a hard lesson that some countries desperately need to learn.

This, but I wouldn't prosecute those who attempt to privately buy the freedom of hostages. Whether the ransom is paid or not, IS will continue to kidnap and behead westerners in the region. Journalists must know that they go there at their own risk.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Jordan has some ideas on how to deal with this: Kill our airman and will will execute all Islamic State prisoners. I have to admire the tenacity.

Pardon the source:

http://www.sundayworld.com/top-stories/news/jordan-says-it-will-hang-all-its-isis-prisoners-if-pilot-is-executed

Sure, that's gonna stop ISIS instantly

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Of course terrorists won't stop murdering their hostages if not paid off (since financial gains are just one of their motivations).

I understand those arguing that sparing human lives is most important, yet when we realize that the money spend to save some will inevitably contribute to killings of some other people, those efforts may be in vain.