jane, your counter hypothetical suggestion is preposterous. Realistic hypothetical questions are not. While politicians refuse to be drawn on hypotheticals during interviews it is solely because the questions can be used as a trap.
Hypotheticals are the would basis of foreign policy. For instance UK pays out aid month to country X in the expectation that country X will be favourable to them in the future. The hypothetical case is if I pay danegeld they will be good to me.
You would be right however to say hypotheticals are frequently wrong. Bin Laden was in a friendly country. Country X frequently misappropriates the 'gifts' and used them against its benefactor - Vientianne,