Talk about cheap shots. And the really tragic aspect of this
backbiting is that the cheap shots are coming from both the right and the left.
Both “sides” are falling over themselves to outdo each other in the sententious
overweening sweepstakes of bogus public compassion.
What does all this public breast beating do for the
kidnapping business? It’s almost as if the supposed prosecutors are lawyers for
the defendants -- the defendants being kidnappers, murderers of innocent people,
and haters.
And why should anyone who
opposes paying ransom to terrorists have to “prove” their concern for people
who voluntarily go to dangerous places and expect to be rescued by the U.S.
cavalry when things go wrong. It’s not as if terrorist kidnappings and the
horrors concomitant with them are new. You’d have to live under a rock not to
be aware of the possibility of being an American kidnap victim in that part of
the world.
Of course, we feel bad for the Weinstein and LaPorto
families! But I feel even more sorry for the American troops who would be in
the position of risking their lives to rescue them. There are many who die who
do not get to choose their fate. Weinstein and LoPorto did. There’s no reason to think Dr. Weinstein and
Mr. LaPorto were anything but well intentioned humanists trying to alleviate
the suffering in war-torn regions of the world. But it’s also possible that
they, like Bowie Bergdahl, were hostile to U.S. policy in the region. That is
no reason to die, certainly, even if it were true.
But their deaths were
accidental, as were the deaths of American heroes killed by friendly fire,
helicopter accidents, or even illness while on duty. Hardly a tear of sympathy
for those many forgotten heroes of other wars.
Yet, Weinstein spokespersons like former FBI agent and
hostage negotiator Chris Voss can go on Fox TV with Republican pundit Pete Hegseth
to blame various government agencies for failing to negotiate. Negotiate what?
The terrorists walked off with $250,000 dollars of Weinstein money paid in
ransom, and then told the family to bug off. Treated them like chumps. And who did their bidding? What happened? Please tell so that the next unfortunate family of a kidnap victim isn't similarly chumped.
On Fox News, Voss seemed to imply that a better negotiation, or
interaction between government agencies would have freed Weinstein. Voss, you see, heads a private company that,
among its other activities, consults (think aids and abets the business of
kidnapping) with companies, governments, and private individuals to pay ransom
to kidnappers. For a steep price, you
can bet. So the guy was a salesman.
As for Hegseth, he simply looked intimidated and was weak in
expressing what has long been U.S. policy. Don’t feed the animals – especially when it's only the wealthy elite which can afford to do so.
