We have . A lost leadership . In our country and we have to send a message . To the enemy . Do not mess with the citizens of the United States of America. And our ALLIES . And DEMAND ACCOUNT ABILITY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE . An attack on one is an attack on ALL 
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I agree that we should be demanding our citizens release. But unfortunately over the past several decades the U.S. government has shown that it will pay incredibly high prices to free our citizens. This makes the taking of U.S. hostages a very profitable, high reward/low risk endeavor and makes demanding their release a lot less likely to work unless we offer the terrorists something they really want in return.
If Hamas was smart they would release the U.S. hostages to send a message that this is between them and Israel and not them and the U.S. but they will more likely look at recent precedent and decide their is too much to gain by holding them for some form of pay off.
This is why the U.S. used to have a policy against rewarding hostage takers. Not sure why we threw it out the window?
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In the world in which we live, war involves the use of military assets to kill civilians, innocents and non-combatants based on the accepted military doctrine that one’s opponent will surrender if enough innocents/civilians are killed. Will Hamas be convinced to promise to behave if loads of Palestinians in Gaza are killed? I doubt it.
Be grateful that you don’t live in or have to control Gaza. It has a population of around 2 million packed into an area roughly 25 miles long and 6-12 miles wide. Population density of around 14,000 people/square mile. For reference, population density in Los Angeles is around 8,000 people.
I hope the US does not make a foolish military decision to go into Gaza to “do something.” Occupying such a space would make the 20-year Afghanistan debacle look like a success. Leave it to the Israelis.
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So Makau (country) has population density of over 21,000/sq.mi, and Monaco (country) – 17000 (per Wiki). If you go to cities table on Wiki, there are 83 entries all above 36,000/sq.mi, including cities in Israel, Europe, America. The numbers go as high as 111,000 for Manila, or 79,000 for Bnei Brak, Israel.
Me thinks, the reason for cutthroat savagery is other than living in an urban area. Something in the water, perhaps?
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I agree that would be totally foolish. If they want to “do something”, there are a couple of concerning locations on US soil. Not to mention, our borders.
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I think a key difference being that most if not all of those other densely populated places are small parts of much larger territories. Gaza is a virtual walled prison with very little available agricultural land and other resources to provide for that dense population. Limited access to resources and opportunities tends to lead to increased crime and violence. Taken to the extreme as in places like Gaza it is not too hard to imagine how extremest groups like Hamas are able to gain support and recruits from a population with little to no hope of providing a better future for their families.
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So, what came first, terrorism or being in the virtual walled prison?
Also, it is now apparent there is plenty of Hamas in NYC, SF, San Diego, Harvard. These are not prisons.
Nah, something else is going on.
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He left them in Afghanistan, what makes you think he cares about Americans in general, let alone those held captive, when he paid for their capture and death! Don’t count on this fool, who takes vacation time during emergencies!
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Liberals.
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HE’s GOING TO SPEAK…
The only reason I will listen, is to know how prepared I need to be for our own invasion!
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They gain support through intimidation.
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Several millennia of something else going on added in with the current manipulations of groups influenced by and/or taking advantage of that past history.
There is a whole lot of the chicken or the egg in this story. Just as there is in Ukraine, etc……
And yes it has come and will continue coming to our shores. We can’t keep messing around with other peoples problems in far away places without expecting some blowback eventually. I’m actually surprised how little we have faced to this point.
I believe we are reaching several tipping points. When resources start to become scarce and economies start to falter diaspora and war are the result. This has happened over and over throughout history. It would be silly to assume that our current crop of political leaders are smart enough to avoid it this time around.
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The global take-over by Mohammadians. Simple. 
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I’d throw in Reagan trading arms to Iran for the release of hostages into that category as well.
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I agree. But it think it would be a lot harder for groups like Hamas to manipulate people if those people had more power and opportunity in their own lives. The strong like to prey upon the weak.
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The Egyptians, the Saudis, and other powerful countries of the region are not in a hurry to give them more power and opportunity. With Israel, a distrust exists. Can you blame them for not wiling to open their borders to Gazans?
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I can’t blame them for not wanting to open the boarders but since they helped close the borders I would expect them to have to deal with the consequences of that action.
There are no simple answers there but the game of tit for tat doesn’t seem to be creating any winners. The resentment between the two groups likely runs too deep to ever be resolved. Sounds like a very good situation for us to not get stuck in the middle of though our past actions seem to have done so.
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I say, we give him the Oscar! Great performance! Where are the whispers and the anger he directs towards the American people!
This is the best Saturday Night Live skit I’ve ever seen!
Are there awards for best liar!
I think Iran is quaking in their boots!
Let me guess, he was brought up by the mullahs!
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Sadly this seems to be the new norm. Pay money to countries that hate us to get our citizens back.
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Welcome to the community @Daniel523
It does unfortunately set up a precedent that is likely going to get repeated more and more often.
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