Krauthammer: How Hostages, And Nations, Get Liberated

The Washington Post ^ | July 11, 2008 | Charles Krauthammer

[Puzzleman]

On the day the Colombian military freed Ingrid Betancourt and 14 other long-held hostages, the Italian Parliament passed yet another resolution demanding her release. Europe had long ago adopted this French-Colombian politician as a cause celebre. France had made her an honorary citizen of Paris, passed numerous resolutions and held many vigils...

[Puzzleman]

Krauthammer nails it.

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

Upon her liberation, Betancourt offered profuse thanks to God and the Virgin Mary, to her supporters and the media, to France and Colombia and just about everybody else. As of this writing, none to the United States.

Should have let her continue rotting in the jungle...

[singfreedom]

....rotting in the jungle, chained to a tree. She’s just another dim lib bitch.

[kb2614]

At this point, I think I’m immune to such ungratitude. We’re damned if we do, damned if we don’t. Whatever, glad she’s out of captivity. May she have a long & healthy life.

[patj]

Did you read any of the comments following the article? There are some seriously deranged people out there. You can tell that being a lib takes no brains.

[aruanan]

It’s all so simple. Someone or some group takes a person hostage and says “give us what we want or we’ll kill the hostage.” The choices are 1. give them what they want or 2. rescue the hostage or at least kill all the hostage takers so they’ll never do it again. Number 1 encourages such behavior. Number 2 will discourage such behavior at the same time that it eliminates the smaller number that refuse to be discouraged. Number 1 is the submission of one’s will to that of the malefactors and saying that they are part of the same society and, because one gives in to them, the more important part of that society. Number 2 is the declaration that the malefactors stand in relation to human society in the same way that small pox stands in relation to the human body—they are an alien species that is up to no good. They may have their own desires and goals just like we do but what is good for them is not good for us and we don’t have to pretend otherwise or feel bad when their predation is crushed.

[shove_it]

Krauthammer puts words together as no other. He is a treasure.

[Larry Lucido]

It’s all so simple. Someone or some group takes a person hostage and says “give us what we want or we’ll kill the hostage.” The choices are 1. give them what they want or 2. rescue the hostage or at least kill all the hostage takers so they’ll never do it again. Number 1 encourages such behavior. Number 2 will discourage such behavior at the same time that it eliminates the smaller number that refuse to be discouraged. Number 1 is the submission of one’s will to that of the malefactors and saying that they are part of the same society and, because one gives in to them, the more important part of that society. Number 2 is the declaration that the malefactors stand in relation to human society in the same way that small pox stands in relation to the human body—they are an alien species that is up to no good. They may have their own desires and goals just like we do but what is good for them is not good for us and we don’t have to pretend otherwise or feel bad when their predation is crushed.

Deserves repeating. Again and again.

[spectre]

Kudos to our Special Forces!! At great risk to their own lives they carried out this rescue without missing a beat. I'm certain some of them thought they might never see their own families again should this mission be exposed at any crucial point.

Our Special Ops are the unsung heroes of this rescue and we won't ever know their names. The least she could have done was thank the US.

sw

[Oldexpat]

It would be ironic if Betancourt is re-captured and returned to FARC. I’m sure the rumor about a ransome was spread to discount the efforts of Columbia and the US.
Betancourt is a typical socialist. She’s really more on the side of FARC than democracy. Throw her back.

[Dick Holmes]

One of his best. Worth reading—bump

[dennisw]

Krauthammer nails it.

I can't remember the last time he was wrong. Stupid is not in his vocabulary. He makes Mort and Fred look like utter fools

[HawaiianGecko]

I enjoy reading Krauthammer.  I think he has a natural inclination for wording his articles exactly correctly for maximum impact.  It must be his PhD and board certification in psychiatry that allows this.  I do, however, remember him assaulting Clinton for the wars in Bosnia and Kosovo for our involvement. But I can rationalize that away as personal growth.  :-)