If you think "Don't negotiate with terrorists" is just overdramatizing, then you've misread. It's actually a reference to an interesting bit of theory about det

If you think "Don't negotiate with terrorists" is just overdramatizing, then you've misread. It's actually a reference to an interesting bit of theory about deterrence. A country which has a history of negotiating with terrorists will tend to get more terrorists making demands of them. Conversely, a country which steadfastly refuses to ever negotiate, even when this hurts them, will not get as many terrorist demands. This kind of reasoning also applies to border skirmishes, contract disputes, and patent trolls.