I know this sounds cracked, but

[sui generis]

you know what might stop the beheadings? (and I say this for purpose of discussion only, not because I really believe it should be done)

Abdel Aziz Al-Muqrin (the guy who kidnapped Paul Johnson) and every other group that demands the release of prisoners should indeed have them released in the same condition that we receive back the headless bodies of our fellow countrymen. It's a bit draconian (or Hammurabian?) but an eye for an eye, etc.

I think it would definitely slow down the beheadings.

[Occulus]

1. Suuuuuuuure.

Let's make sure we are no better than they.

Right.

[nose pin]

4. The prisoners in question

are being held by SA. I could see SA doing this.

It's a cracked idea, but not a bad cracked idea.

[jono]

2. An eye for an eye leaves everyone blind.

Yes, this sounds cracked.

[bleedingheart]

3. just throw out that "turn the other cheek" sentiment out the window

While I feel bad for his family and I think this man's death is yet another that can be tagged onto the price of this unnecessary war I have to say that I don't want to lower myself or destroy my humanity just to play chicken with the enemy.

[BOHICA06]

13. Yeah but SA

doesn't follow the "cheek" - policy. If you remember the Black September movement of the 70s (Munich Olympics). The Jordanians (not cheek followers either) broke them like a twig by arresting the terrorists families and killing some of them - made the boys come home to Momma!

The Saudis may go the same route rather loose all face.

Cracked - yep, but its a Muslim thing, we wouldn't understand.

[TexasSissy]

5. That would just up the level of violence.

Then they'd have to do something in retaliation. Then we'd have to do something in retaliation.

Next thing you know, it'll be like Israel and Palestine.

[neoteric lefty]

6. Sounds cracked, coked, meph'ed, boozed, X'ed, doped(you get the drift) nt

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

7. You're right. It does sound cracked.

The same notion has been tried throughout history. Hasn't worked.

Don't believe it? Check out how well the death penaly works in stopping murders.

[movonne]

8. I don't think it would make one bit of difference...beheading is a

quick death, I think we should strip them naked and prance them around of leashes.

[nostamj]

9. escalation!

yeah, that's the ticket!

not.

[Dufaeth]

10. Saw a post just like this on Free Republic

the other day.

[sui generis]

18. hey now stop with the name calling!

I didn't say that I thought it was the right thing to do, like a freeper would have. There you made me say the f word.

The truth is, it is a tragedy, and even if we were to take SOME kind of action against those prisoners (however humane) to dissuade future incidents like this, there is no way to be sure we weren't being manipulated to do that anyway.

[Dufaeth]

22. Didn't call you anything,

I was disturbed when I saw it there, and even more disturbed to see it here.

[sui generis]

24. thanks for answering

see post #20 -

[Worst Username Ever]

11. I don't think it would work

These are the folks that say they want to die as much as Americans want to live. I think if we killed on of them, they would become a martyr for their cause.

A cause we seem to be encouraging over there.

[ieoeja]

12. How do you disuade a suicide bomber?

You threaten him with death!


Seriously though I think their demand that all non-Islamic people leave Saudi Arabia outweighs the demand for release of their brethren. I find myself increasinly leaning towards just letting them have their way. They don't want us in SA? Fine. I hate to bow to bigotry, but it's their country. Let the moderate and liberal Muslims deal with them just as it took liberal Americans to end segregation here in our own country.

[BootinUp]

14. For the same reasons we must not use torture

THis is a very bad idea. What we need to do is follow our own laws and those international laws we agreed to. We need to have undeniable justification and/or world support before invading another country. Maybe then we will see a decrease in the hatred towards our country, and the plague of terrorism.

[nose pin]

16. Everyone keeps saying "we" and "us"

We're not involved in this particular incident, aside from it being an American who was taken hostage/killed. This was an action against the Saudi royal family. The prisoners are being held by Saudi Arabia.

[sffreeways]

15. Hmmmm interesting approach

We could also change all of our laws and tactics to resemble those of the Taliban.


I am certain that if we would just fight fire with fire the entire world would become the peaceful oasis for humanity that we so desire

I can see it in my minds eye...

We behead hundreds of prisoners and all will welcome us with candy and roses

Liberators at last

[Sinistrous]

17. The climactic scene in Apocalypse Now covers this point perfectly:

Col. Kurtz:

" I've seen horrors...horrors that you've seen. But you have no right to call me a murderer. You have a right to kill me. You have a right to do that...But you have no right to judge me. It's impossible for words to describe what is necessary to those who do not know what horror means. Horror. Horror has a face...And you must make a friend of horror. Horror and moral terror are your friends. If they are not then they are enemies to be feared.

They are truly enemies. I remember when I was with Special Forces...Seems a thousand centuries ago...We went into a camp to inoculate the children. We left the camp after we had inoculated the children for Polio, and this old man came running after us and he was crying. He couldn't see. We went back there and they had come and hacked off every inoculated arm. There they were in a pile...A pile of little arms. And I remember...I...I...I cried...

I wept like some grandmother. I wanted to tear my teeth out. I didn't know what I wanted to do. And I want to remember it. I never want to forget it. I never want to forget. And then I realized...like I was shot...Like I was shot with a diamond...a diamond bullet right through my forehead...And I thought: My God...the genius of that. The genius. The will to do that. Perfect, genuine, complete, crystalline, pure. And then I realized they were stronger than we. Because they could stand that these were not monsters...These were men...trained cadres...these men who fought with their hearts, who had families, who had children, who were filled with love...but they had the strength...the strength...to do that. If I had ten divisions of those men our troubles here would be over very quickly. You have to have men who are moral...and at the same time who are able to utilize their primordial instincts to kill without feeling...without passion... without judgment...without judgment. Because it's judgement that defeats us. "

Was Kurtz correct or monstrously wrong?

[ewagner]

19. Kurtz

told the truth about war.

War creates monsters.

[sui generis]

20. well, to recap

judging by the volume of response, I realize we all considered the absurdity of my provocative statement for at least a moment before rejecting it, and that by and large it was rejected for the same reasons.

Thank you for proving that we really do have a moral compass in your responses in spite of everything.

[Jim__]

21. I doubt very much that would stop or slow down the beheadings

One of the purposes of terror is to make the established power overreact. If the power over reacts enough, the normally apathetic population becomes radicalized. My guess is that what you're suggesting is exactly what they want.

Sort of like, some Arab radicals blow up a builidng in the US; let's just pick an Arab country and invade it. That'll show 'em.

[ClassWarrior]

23. Sure, violence only begets...

...daisies and butterflies. Everybody knows that.

Yup. Sounds cracked alright.