In 1904,  a Greek American named Ion Hanford Perdicaris is captured by a Muslim warlord named Ahmed Raisuni, President Theodore Roosevelt sends warships to North Africa with the warning, “Perdicaris alive or Raisuli dead.”

120 years later, after 8 months of Americans being held hostage by Hamas, State Dept spokesman Matthew Miller uploaded a video of himself pleading with Islamic terrorists to accept a deal that leaves them in power.

Miller, the representative of a world power, pleads with Hamas to accept the deal that gives the terror group almost everything it previously demanded.

What a contrast with Secretary of State John Hay declaring, “This government wants Perdicaris alive or Raisuni dead.”

Roosevelt and Hay were making a larger point, beyond whether Perdicaris even merited American protection, which was that America was a great power and was not to be trifled with.

Consider this video of Miller and decide whether that’s the message being sent today.