What's A Life Worth?
Second question: Israeli or Palestinian? From the Canadian National Post about the deal that has been struck for the release of Israeli prisoner Gilad Shalit, who was kidnapped and dragged into Gaza by Hamas terrorists in 2006:
According to reports, Israel will free up to 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in return -- a lopsided arithmetic that finds precedent in similar Arab-Israeli deals in the past. Whatever one may think about the wisdom of dealing with terrorists, this 1,000:1 ratio implicitly lays bare the relative value that the two sides, Israel and Hamas, place on their countrymen's lives.
Yeah, except that there is no such thing as a "Palestinian" Only Arabs in disguise.
William Diller at October 12, 2011 6:14 AM
Palestinians remind me of the Occupy Wall Street movement.
MarkD at October 12, 2011 6:58 AM
It's also, sadly, a terrible incentive that encourages more kidnapping.
No ransoms, no negotiations (apart, perhaps, from a Cerebus-esque "they will be returned unharmed and you will be allowed to live") - that's a response that gives people no reason to ever kidnap.
As the economists say, "incentives matter".
(That and special forces raids ala Entebbe. There's a reason nobody hijacks El Al flights, and it's not just good security.)
Sigivald at October 12, 2011 2:20 PM
If I were in charge of a country and a neighboring state wa on record as invading ovriegn land and kidnapping members of my armed forces I wouldnt negoitiate his release, I'd invade with the full force of my military, order my forces to use any means neccesary to capture or kill leaders of said nation, any means neccessary to liberate my kidnaped soilder, destroy all known manufacturing locations and set every struture on fire on their macrch home after those objectives were met
lujlp at October 12, 2011 3:02 PM
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