Kidnapping & Negotiating
The Australian PM has declined talking to the kidnappers of a businessman in Iraq (Washington Times ). The PM, Mr. John Howard, has said that the country's foreign policy cannot be dictated by terrorists. A good move I should say.
That reminds me of the movie Roja. The movie had a women struggling to get her hubby released from the terrorists. I personally feel that, just for the sake of one man, we cannot release a terrorist who might go onto kill hundreds of people. But then, one dialogue in the movie packed a punch on my opinion. The dialogue goes like "What if the person kidnapped were a minister or his son?" That's something to think about. If a minister were kidnapped then our government would indeed release the terrorist. Is the life of a minister that valuable that we risk hundreds of people for it? I don't think so. The government should take a stand that they wouldn't release anyone on demand. In addition to giving an unbiased view to the situation, and holding-up the stand of the people, this decision presents another interesting aspect if we apply the Game Theory. Going by the Game Theory, this decision would make the terrorists think that they would, in any case, not gain anything by kidnapping (since the government is not going to release anyone) and so stop kidnapping!!! Think about it. With nothing to gain, why would anyone kidnap?
BTW, why is it called "kid"napping even when elders are napped?
Lets move from the global perspective to the individualistic, personal side of me. I don't know as to why these statistical tools keep failing once in a while. Just when I thought that my hypothesis was going wrong, the hit counter in my blog has failed. I remember it being some 1300 odd on Thursday. It stopped working on Friday and today it is on 14!!! One more to the cleaners
That reminds me of the movie Roja. The movie had a women struggling to get her hubby released from the terrorists. I personally feel that, just for the sake of one man, we cannot release a terrorist who might go onto kill hundreds of people. But then, one dialogue in the movie packed a punch on my opinion. The dialogue goes like "What if the person kidnapped were a minister or his son?" That's something to think about. If a minister were kidnapped then our government would indeed release the terrorist. Is the life of a minister that valuable that we risk hundreds of people for it? I don't think so. The government should take a stand that they wouldn't release anyone on demand. In addition to giving an unbiased view to the situation, and holding-up the stand of the people, this decision presents another interesting aspect if we apply the Game Theory. Going by the Game Theory, this decision would make the terrorists think that they would, in any case, not gain anything by kidnapping (since the government is not going to release anyone) and so stop kidnapping!!! Think about it. With nothing to gain, why would anyone kidnap?
BTW, why is it called "kid"napping even when elders are napped?
Lets move from the global perspective to the individualistic, personal side of me. I don't know as to why these statistical tools keep failing once in a while. Just when I thought that my hypothesis was going wrong, the hit counter in my blog has failed. I remember it being some 1300 odd on Thursday. It stopped working on Friday and today it is on 14!!! One more to the cleaners
posted by Jammy at 10:32 AM
8 Comments:
Jammy...agreed that foreign policy cannot be dictated by terrorists, but by not talking to the kidnappers isn't the Government abdicating responsibility towards its citizens.
Again agreed that if the Government does not release the person demanded, kidnappings should stop, but then again how many innocent lives will you allow to be kidnapped before the kidnappings stop?
Somehow, such kidnappings place the Government between the devil and the Deep Blue Sea...whatever they do, they will be criticised.
Vetty,
My view is under the assumption that th released terrorist will kill lots of people, and by sacrificing some people to stop this brutal activity is better.
Jammy, until ppl recognize that politicians are also humans and no better than a normal street loafer, things wont change. Y take a heavy subject of kidnapping a minister or his son. Jus think about the number of hrs spent by a poor police men guarding the roads in the scorching heat from dawn to dusk for a minister who is supposed to arrive at midnight :( This is the poor plight of our country. Think about the traffic jam caused when a minister to commutes from his residence to his ofiz. Only the day when a politician walks on streets with no much fuss, we can expect civilians’ lives too to be given equal importance!!
good post Jammy- i think it's a good stand taken by the PM...we'll have to wait until we know what happens in the end though...do keep us informed!
@heidi
That correlates to England
@ Jammy
Was there something like VP Singh's daughter kidnapped a few years ago and such a drama had taken place, I am not really able to recollect that incident...
@Aks
It was Mufti Mohammed Sayeed's daughter kidnapped. He was the Home Minister then. Some militants were released in exchange for the daughter.
@ Vetty
Thanks, I just had a vague remambrance of seeing it on news. Really couldnt recollect who it was actually..
Game theory sounds good. But who's bold to give the first compromise?
Post a Comment
<< Home