# Can we increase the cost of acquiring hostages? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 15, 2014, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-increase-the-cost-of-acquiring-hostages/698564 "2014-09-15T15:24:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-increase-the-cost-of-acquiring-hostages/698564/21 "2014-09-16T20:02:52Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > My choice > Con: Seen as an imperialist > Plus: Saves lives Is “Nobody pays” a pro or a con? ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-increase-the-cost-of-acquiring-hostages/698564/22 "2014-09-16T20:06:56Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > I’m a bit puzzled by the OP, which seems to be skirting around the issue. What, exactly, has so far been the cost of acquiring hostages? What does that mean? … This is a good point. Increase the cost to who? What costs? You can increase costs to hostages by raising airfares … increase costs to terrorists be raising the price of ammunition … or machetes. But I’m thinking the OP means something else. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-increase-the-cost-of-acquiring-hostages/698564/23 "2014-09-16T20:25:50Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Is “Nobody pays” a pro or a con? Pro. Paying nothing and reducing terrorism sounds good to me. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-increase-the-cost-of-acquiring-hostages/698564/24 "2014-09-16T22:08:16Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Pro. Paying nothing and reducing terrorism sounds good to me. I mean nobody pays the fine you’ve proposed. The U.S. is not the world government, and is therefore not in a position to assess fines to other countries. Nevermind that these fines are based on “suppositions,” which sounds like the thinking of a bad or corrupt government. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2014, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-increase-the-cost-of-acquiring-hostages/698564/25 "2014-09-16T22:43:49Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > I mean nobody pays the fine you’ve proposed. The U.S. is not the world government, and is therefore not in a position to assess fines to other countries. Nevermind that these fines are based on “suppositions,” which sounds like the thinking of a bad or corrupt government. Well I’m sure there’s something more we can do to lean on them. We’ve already gotten most of Europe to sign a treaty to the effect that they won’t negotiate with terrorists, but it seems that whatever we did to get that was insufficient to make them actually do that. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2014, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-increase-the-cost-of-acquiring-hostages/698564/26 "2014-09-17T00:06:24Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Well I’m sure there’s something more we can do to lean on them. We’ve already gotten most of Europe to sign a treaty to the effect that they won’t negotiate with terrorists, but it seems that whatever we did to get that was insufficient to make them actually do that. That’s about all you can do. If countries are negotiating with hostage-takers, I suspect they’re not signatories to the treaties you are referring to. But offhand I don’t know what treaty that is. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-increase-the-cost-of-acquiring-hostages/698564.md?page=1)