Well that is a Churchill quote not an American.
I also don’t consider the response to Somali pirates a good example because that is a failed state and on the high seas not a sovereign nation.
What is in my mind on this is Obama and his trade of 5 highly dangerous anti-American terrorist for a American traitor.
I might also as an earlier example give Clintons running from Somalia when the going got tough.
There have been few bright spots in American foreign policy since Viet Nam.
The whole reason we have kidnappings of our nationals is because operations like the Maersk Alabama Hijacking are few and far between. Even in that case yes we killed the pirates that took the ship but we did nothing about those that sent them. The pirates themselves are expendables sent by someone who neither knows them or cares about them.
Retaliation is important to preventing recurrences of these takings of US nationals.
I believe that Reagan’s message to Kaddafi is a good example of this principal. We bombed Kaddafi’s palace and killed his son and we did not have any more trouble from him for a decade.
If we want to stop terrorism we need to kill those who finance them or kill the foot soldiers by the tens of thousands so that those that might join them understand that it will be a pointless death to do so.
I agree with what you say about Reagan's approach with Kaddafi; however, Kaddafi wasn't ISIS (we're talking about 'degrees' of terrorism) & those were different times. Another example of similar terrorism to Kaddafi, of that time, would be the IRA. ISIS has a completely different goal, tactic and approach than both Kaddafi & the IRA.
If we want to stop terrorism we need to kill those who finance them or kill the foot soldiers by the tens of thousands so that those that might join them understand that it will be a pointless death to do so.
Yes. And, I think the U.S. can be as brutal as, say, the Chinese or Russians in dealing with ISIS, if the U.S. equally chooses to be; ISIS chooses to employ well-publicized and shocking tactics; they've said it's 'necessary' - that's their trademark.
Despite what some may think, a direct U.S. response will be a deterrent even with ISIS. Mostly because ISIS knows the U.S. has the capability but doesn't appear to fully apply, on multiple levels.
I don't care who said it. My point was is that we're offering hugs and playing pussy music in the face of animals who slaughter, rape and torture.
We look like weak losers. A far cry from the America of old.