Will Japan pay $200 million to free 2 hostages? (1 Viewer)

[lakerstan]

Been doing a little reading on this and it appears that France, Germany and Italy have all paid ransom to ISIS in return for hostages recently. The US and Great Britain claim they have not. Do you think Japan will make the payment, and if so, how do you compare the lives of two hostages versus the damage $200 mil can do?

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/politics/isis-hostage-threat-which-countries-pay-ransoms-to-release-their-citizens-9710129.html

 

[Joe Summer]

Yes they will but it won't be $200 million.

 

[Fennis]

"200 millions doll hairs? WTF!!!"

 

[PatsWillWin]

ISIS is filthy rich anyways, from what I've read. They make an absurd amount of money selling oil on the black market. Not getting into the wisdom of paying off terrorists like this, but I don't think giving them $200 million is going to make a massive difference with what ISIS can/can't do.

 

[FreeBaGeL]

Counter for 200 million yen.

 

[Kevrunner]

ISIS wants almost a 1/4 of a billion $$$ for 2 hostages, now that seems like a hell of a lot of $$$ to be paying for 2 citizens.

 

[General Malaise]

Does Japan even have $200 Million right now?

 

[Fat Nick]

How does a transaction like that go down anyway? I mean, you aren't paying cash, so it has to be electronic, right? And if it's electronic, why can't someone reverse it once the hostages are safe? I'm really illiterate to the goings on behind bank transactions. I just don't understand why they can't be like, "Transfer $200M to account 123456." Then when they see it, and release the hostages, then the bank can be like, "Just kidding!"

 

[Insein]

How does a transaction like that go down anyway? I mean, you aren't paying cash, so it has to be electronic, right? And if it's electronic, why can't someone reverse it once the hostages are safe? I'm really illiterate to the goings on behind bank transactions. I just don't understand why they can't be like, "Transfer $200M to account 123456." Then when they see it, and release the hostages, then the bank can be like, "Just kidding!"

In brown paper bags with non sequential small bills.

 

[jonessed]

Paying $200M to a group of terrorists that will funnel that money into killing many more than two people seems crazy. I don't know how that could be justified.

 

[saintfool]

Paying $200M to a group of terrorists that will funnel that money into killing many more than two people seems crazy. I don't know how that could be justified.

And likely up the ransom for the next kidnapped individuals. It will only spiral.

 

[msommer]

Didn't the PM already tell them to take a long walk off a short pier?

 

[Fat Nick]

How does a transaction like that go down anyway? I mean, you aren't paying cash, so it has to be electronic, right? And if it's electronic, why can't someone reverse it once the hostages are safe? I'm really illiterate to the goings on behind bank transactions. I just don't understand why they can't be like, "Transfer $200M to account 123456." Then when they see it, and release the hostages, then the bank can be like, "Just kidding!"

In brown paper bags with non sequential small bills.

2.2 TONS of cash if it were only $100 bills....not counting the weight of the paper bag, of course. That's extra...

 

[lakerstan]

I guess we have our answer...

 

[3C's]

How does a transaction like that go down anyway? I mean, you aren't paying cash, so it has to be electronic, right? And if it's electronic, why can't someone reverse it once the hostages are safe? I'm really illiterate to the goings on behind bank transactions. I just don't understand why they can't be like, "Transfer $200M to account 123456." Then when they see it, and release the hostages, then the bank can be like, "Just kidding!"

Hi American Express, I'd like to reverse this charge...

 

[Mr. Retukes]

Would you believe........$100 million?

 

[Mr. Pickles]

How does a transaction like that go down anyway? I mean, you aren't paying cash, so it has to be electronic, right? And if it's electronic, why can't someone reverse it once the hostages are safe? I'm really illiterate to the goings on behind bank transactions. I just don't understand why they can't be like, "Transfer $200M to account 123456." Then when they see it, and release the hostages, then the bank can be like, "Just kidding!"

Negotiable bearer bond drop from 30,000 feet.

 

[culdeus]

Bitcoins?

 

[Kevrunner]

If a country does pay the ransom $$$ to ISIS, what is going to stop ISIS from kidnapping citizens from their country in the future and asking for more $$$. Is ISIS going to "pinkie swear" not to do it again?

 

[NCCommish]

You can not pay off blackmailers. They always want more later. I am sorry for these two but there is no way as the leader of a country I would enter into a payment with ISIS. I would take the 200 million and spend it hunting their ### down though.

 

[Officer Pete Malloy]

You can not pay off blackmailers.

This

 

[IvanKaramazov]

You can not pay off blackmailers. They always want more later. I am sorry for these two but there is no way as the leader of a country I would enter into a payment with ISIS. I would take the 200 million and spend it hunting their ### down though.

Yep. Nice post.

 

[culdeus]

So do they want 100 for 1 or is it still 200?

 

[Maurile Tremblay]

If you use that $200 million to improve road safety measures, you can save probably a few hundred lives (without funding more harm by ISIS in the process).

 

[msommer]

If you use that $200 million to improve road safety measures, you can save probably a few hundred lives (without funding more harm by ISIS in the process).

Just fyi, japan has less than half the road fatalities per 100,000 people compared to the US...

 

[General Malaise]

If you use that $200 million to improve road safety measures, you can save probably a few hundred lives (without funding more harm by ISIS in the process).

Just fyi, japan has less than half the road fatalities per 100,000 people compared to the US...

Well, when you don't drive over 35mph....

 

[inca911]

You can not pay off blackmailers. They always want more later. I am sorry for these two but there is no way as the leader of a country I would enter into a payment with ISIS. I would take the 200 million and spend it hunting their ### down though.

ala 1996 Ransom with Mel Gibson. Don't pay any ransom, instead offer it as a bounty for the heads of the hostage takers (including immunity to the whistleblower for a safe hostage return).

 

[Mr. Retukes]

If you use that $200 million to improve road safety measures, you can save probably a few hundred lives (without funding more harm by ISIS in the process).

Just fyi, japan has less than half the road fatalities per 100,000 people compared to the US...

Fine. How about they use the $200 million to improve nuclear plant safety??

 

[cstu]

If you use that $200 million to improve road safety measures, you can save probably a few hundred lives (without funding more harm by ISIS in the process).

Just fyi, japan has less than half the road fatalities per 100,000 people compared to the US...

Fine. How about they use the $200 million to improve nuclear plant safety??

 

[The General]

Do the Mel Gibson "Ransom" move and put a 200 Mil Bounty on ISIS members instead.

 

[culdeus]

If you use that $200 million to improve road safety measures, you can save probably a few hundred lives (without funding more harm by ISIS in the process).

Just fyi, japan has less than half the road fatalities per 100,000 people compared to the US...

Fine. How about they use the $200 million to improve nuclear plant safety??

awesome

 

[NCCommish]

You can not pay off blackmailers. They always want more later. I am sorry for these two but there is no way as the leader of a country I would enter into a payment with ISIS. I would take the 200 million and spend it hunting their ### down though.

ala 1996 Ransom with Mel Gibson. Don't pay any ransom, instead offer it as a bounty for the heads of the hostage takers (including immunity to the whistleblower for a safe hostage return).

I had forgotten about Mel. But yeah something like that.