John Hinderaker comments pithily:
On October 7, Gaza murdered 31 Americans and is believed to have kidnapped 13 more, including a three-year-old child. Yesterday an initial exchange of hostages for prisoners was carried out. Ten Thais and one Filipino were let go, but no Americans were released….
[…]
If our president were not a senile, half-witted fool, he would have told Hamas long ago that if all Americans were not freed within 12 hours, Gaza would be reduced to rubble. Not to mention that Gaza would never get another nickel of American money.
We shouldn’t have expected any Americans to be released. Nor should we expect any to be released in the near future. They’re bargaining chips: victims of kidnap-at-ransom.
The masters of HAMAS are, at base, extortionists. They use violence, kidnapping, and threats to extort money and forbearance from others: principally from Israel, but after that, from the United States. The U.S. has funded HAMAS rather profligately with “aid” payments for some years now. HAMAS wants more – as much more as the lives and health of those hostages will buy.
HAMAS fancies itself a State. Remember what Lysander Spooner said about States:
All political power, as it is called, rests practically upon this matter of money. Any number of scoundrels, having money enough to start with, can establish themselves as a “government;” because, with money, they can hire soldiers, and with soldiers extort more money; and also compel general obedience to their will. It is with government, as Cæsar said it was in war, that money and soldiers mutually supported each other; that with money he could hire soldiers, and with soldiers extort money. So these villains, who call themselves governments, well understand that their power rests primarily upon money. With money they can hire soldiers, and with soldiers extort money. And, when their authority is denied, the first use they always make of money, is to hire soldiers to kill or subdue all who refuse them more money.
Hinderaker’s prescription is the right one: threaten to reduce HAMAS’s stronghold in Gaza to flinders and cinders, and announce that America’s checkbook has been closed to them. Does anyone doubt that Ronald Reagan or Donald Trump would have hesitated to issue that ultimatum? Does anyone doubt that the Usurper Regime will kowtow to HAMAS’s demands? After a feeble gesture at face-saving, perhaps?
It’s time to resurrect the doctrine of peace through superior firepower. Not for Israel’s sake, but for ours.
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SPECTRE rarely had so many embedded allies in Fleming’s day. Heck, Cicero had it easier than do we. He didn’t have an earlier version of himself to assure him how correct was his vision. Perhaps “easier” is the wrong word choice.
I am beginning to favor replicating the policies of Ghengis Khan in regards the MidEast and Islamics in general.
Crude, rude, socially unacceptable, but undeniably effective.
Author
Some people — and some peoples — understand only force. They yield only to superior force. And until the bien-pensants either accept that truth or are shoved decisively to the margins of Western discourse, the horrors the civilized world has suffered from Islam will continue.
RE: islamics
Kurtz had it right.
JWM
The best way to quiet a country is a good thrashing, followed by great kindness afterwards. Even the wildest chaps are thus tamed. — General Sir Charles James Napier GCB, Commander-in-Chief in India (1782 – 1853)
War is the remedy that our enemies have chosen, and I say let us give them all they want. — General William Tecumseh Sherman
Unfortunately if we stop paying these murderers off they will get all of their largesse from Iran or China. We have little leverage over them other than annihilation – beginning with some bunker busters in ALL of their tunnels. The civilian toll would be huge and hence NOTHING WILL BE DONE! Bidet is a droolin old fool whose cabinet is feckless and moronic. The Chinese have infested it to the point that the next visit Xi pays to Bidet I would not be surprised if he offered to shine his shoes!