Hostage-takers should be met with immediate and overwhelming force. This nips the problem in the bud. And the hostage-takers deserve this. Capturing an innocent, threatening his life, and ransoming him off is an act of incredible evil. Persons, mafias, and dictatorships that do such a thing need to be dealt with quickly and severely.
Negotiating with such monsters is morally depraved. Giving them money, favors, and prisoners in exchange for the hostage’s life is a terrible crime which rewards and empowers evil. It also ensures hostage-taking will increase in the near future.
Unfortunately, America and the West have a long history of proudly and defiantly saying: "We don’t negotiate with, or make deals with, hostage-takers." Then they do just the opposite. Their absurd and laughable boasts of defiance are too contemptable and disgusting for words. The fact is: rapid, harsh, proper, effective responses to hostage-taking are rare. Communist and Moslem tyrannies especially like to take Americans and other Westerners hostage.
This almost always works. The bad guys almost never pay a decent penalty. The sissiness and impotence of America and the West is lengendary. Their weakness is vast and their humiliation virtually never ends. What a horror for the supposedly superior folks of Western "civilization" to be continually shamed and disgraced in this manner!
When will America and the West finally stand up for themselves, fight back, and show a bit of self-respect and personal honor? When will the evil enemies be properly smashed and defeated? Not in any of our lifetimes.
At long last, America and the Western nations need to convert to the strong and heroic philosophy of liberalism. Until then, the shame and humiliation of hostage-taking and ransom-paying will never end.