Daniel Borchers from www.coulterwatch.wordpress.com: Ann Coulter Auditions for U.N. Ambassador

Ann Coulter Auditions for U.N. Ambassador

July 18, 2014Uncategorizedanncoulter, coulter, nativism, racism, soccer, United Nations, xenophobia

“All countries suck compared to America.”[1]

This from the stereotypical Ugly American who recently, again, became an international sensation, this time for her repeated denunciations ofsoccer as un-American, succinctly encapsulated in two words: “It’s foreign.” Coulter’s antipathy toward foreigners and immigrants (legal and illegal) is legendary.

Perhaps she is auditioning for an ambassadorship to the United Nations. Wouldn’t that be a hoot!

Surprisingly, Coulter, a world-traveler, “spent summers in Spain” as a child and, as an adult, traveled worldwide to Grateful Dead concerts and ski resorts. In fact, her first soccer diatribe was published while she was in Paris (France, not Texas).

Let’s consider Ann Hart Coulter for the next U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. Wouldn’t that be a sight to behold? Coulter favors Western Europeans (those who are non-liberal, non-feminized, and non-pacified) over the rest of the world, particularly the Third World. But English must be spoken!

Here is a sampling of classic Coulter commentary. Travel the world through Ann’s eyes.

Coulter’s If Democrats Had Any Brains contained a section entitled, “FOREIGNERS, OR THE ‘NON-SOAP-ORIENTED.’” Her lead paragraph began, “They’re no good. Don’t trust ‘em – except Denmark, Australia, the Czech Republic, and the rest of new Europe, which, amazingly enough, has recently come to include France and Germany. … Canadians, for example, are either great or awful, and at the outset of the War on Terror, the balance was swinging perilously close to awful. Better shape up, Canada! At this point, we’re only keeping you around for the beer.”

Canada

“[Canadians] better hope the United States does not roll over one night and crush them. They are lucky we allow them to exist on the same continent. … We like the English-speaking Canadians.”[2]

China

Asked about invading China, Coulter replied, “Yeah!”[3]

Although she is opposed to the totalitarian regime in China, Coulter nevertheless ridiculed blind Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng, tweeting, “Couldn’t we just tell that blind Chinese dissident that he’s in America now?”[4] Responding to the controversy she had created, Coulter joked, “I’d say they’re being a little myopic, except they’d be offended.”[5] One could say that Coulter is blind to her own insensitivity.

Europeans

Asked why “Europeans prefer liberals to conservatives,” Coulter answered, “Because you’re all a bunch of atheists, humanists, and moral relativists. Love the food, though! And don’t get me started on the shoes you wonderful people make! They’re to surrender for!”[6]

France

“Attack France!”[7] Her essay title concluded with these words: “If this is a war against terrorism and not a Eurocentric war against Islam, the conclusion is ineluctable: We must attack France. What are they going to do? Fight us?”

“This is as opposed to France, against whom I think we should launch a preemptive nuclear strike.”[8]

Iran

“Well, I keep hearing people say we can’t find the nuclear material, and you can bury it in caves. How about we just carpet bomb them so they can’t build a transistor radio?”[9]

“How about [invading Iran] right now? You have a lunatic running Iran, who’s running around claiming he has a nuke. When do we wait? Do we wait for a city to be taken out?”[10]

Coulter said, “It’s good for Wall Street if we bomb Iran,” adding, “I think it would be fun.”[11]

Coulter tweeted, “Let’s destroy Iran by giving them ObamaCare.”[12]

Lebanon

“Some have argued that Israel’s response is disproportionate, which is actually correct: It wasn’t nearly strong enough. I know this because there are parts of South Lebanon still standing.”[13]

North Korea

“I think we ought to nuke North Korea right now just to give the rest of the world a warning. Boom! … I just think it would be fun to nuke them and have it be a warning … to the world.”[14]

Syria

“Perhaps we could put aside our national, ongoing, post-9/11 Muslim butt-kissing contest and get on with the business at hand: Bombing Syria back to the stone age and then permanently disarming Iran.”[15]

Third World

“It’s extremely difficult to come in if you’re coming from a Western European country. However, if you are from a Third World country, ‘Welcome.’ If your genetic ancestors did not invent the wheel, ‘Oh, well, let them come in.’ But they’re the natural Democratic voters.”[16]

Resources:

See Chapter 10: “Equality: Self-Evident Truths,” The Gospel According to Ann Coulter, 2012, available as a free pdf download atwww.coulterwatch.com/gospel.pdf. It documents Coulter’s astonishing predilection to racism, sexism, and classism.

copied from www.coulterwatch.com

please check out the web page for more info and comments on this post......here is a link:

http://coulterwatch.wordpress.com/

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Lieutenant Tim Brant of the Derby Police Dept Talks About the Recent Pit Bull Shooting

the dog in question

Could not resist it.......that dog, the face, the look, the muzzle, the written story.......had to find out more.....thank you to Lt. Tim Brant of the Derby Police for patiently answering all of my questions........

What a pleasure....an immense pleasure talking to Lieutenant Tim Brant from the Derby Police Department........

Talking about the recent Pit Bull situation--an officer became involved in an incident involving an American Staffordshire Terrier where he felt the life the animal control officer was in jeopardy.

He felt an attack was imminent and this resulted in him making a decision to shoot this American Pit Bull Terrier in the chest.

The good news is that the dog is with a veterinarian--the dog will be okay.

There was also a Husky involved--the Husky is with the Wichita Humane Society.

I must have spoken with Lieutenant Tim Brant with the Derby Police Department over 20 minutes.  I had so many questions as the story was very close to my heart.

Yes, I do have a dog in the fight and his name is Ronald.........

Ronnie

In situations similar previous in other areas individuals were not so forth coming with information.

I was really impressed by his professional and informational nature.
Lieutenant Brant was willing to listen to me ask questions without any rushing.  I felt like he wanted to readily share information.

The upshot of the whole thing--a judge will decide what to do at a hearing after all of the information is given and the outcome of the dog will be decided.  I had asked Lieutenant Tim Brant if there was any chance the dog will be euthanized and he said that will be decided by the judge.

He explained to me the first priority is the safety of the citizens of Derby, Kansas; the animal control officers and the other animals and pets.

It seems like the dogs were out and about on their own all day.

It was a worrisome situation because the dog in question had injured a cat, basically cornered a lady while growling and the officer that shot the dog felt the life of the animal control person was in danger.

Tim Brant told me they have also found information that this dog has recently attacked a horse.

I asked Tim Brant if the police had or knew of any kind of program for the rehabilitation of owners and dogs that have acted improperly.  He said he did not but he would really like to know of any program like that if it exists.

I had to ask if he felt dog fighting was a issue here in Kansas.  He said he has not found evidence of dog fighting in Derby but it may in fact exist in the metropolitan area of Wichita.  He has not seen equipment or tools used for dog fighting and he has not seen dogs with tell-tale scars or injuries.

This is a personal concern for me as a owner of a pit bull mix, Ronnie.  Some people are so afraid of my dog they literally pick up their little children and run.  He is old now but he actually has a scar on his head from a  non-malignant tumor.  If everyone only knew he was bossed around by old cats I think they would not run away.

In San Diego there is dog fighting and I felt I had seen signs of dog fighting here in Wichita, too.  I am beginning to think Pit Bulls are the most abused dog in our society today.

It does not take a genius or a long time of owning this breed to notice dog fighting and to hear all of the horrible stories.  In San Diego, at the dog park, literally someone came up to me with his pit bull and said "My dog could kill your dog."

In San Diego and here in Wichita there are very, very large dogs--American Staffordshire Terriers--they are way too big.  Pit Bulls should not be bred so large and they should not be running around loose on the streets.  The neighbors are afraid due to their bad reputation, these days--it is not fair to the neighbors or the dog.

Some American Pit Bull Terriers have not been socialized properly--they get out--in need of exercise--get in a dog pack and run after cats and other animals.  You know what happens next.

What people do not realize about Pit Bulls is that they are extremely heavy and solid dogs--in my experience I think they can knock any other dog.  It is just a matter of time.  Yes, they do enjoy rough-housing but in my opinion they are not really a watch dog such as a German Shepard.  They are just so darn loyal.

Ronnie is the best--he is not prey driven, but many dogs of all breeds will chase anything that moves.  Going to the dog park with any dog, but particularly, a Pitty can be a loaded-gun situation.

Rough-housing is one thing but an all out attack can happen at any time with any breed.  It can happen so fast there is not much any one can do once it gets started.  The dog attack can happen in a flash--everyone is suppose to have their dog under control.

Man, I do not want to lose my dog.......I do not want him to hurt any one and I do not want him to get hurt as he is on the senior citizen side, now.

Thank you to Lieutenant Tim Brant from the Derby Police Department for taking his valuable time to answer all of my questions and to listen to my concern for everyone involved.

My heart goes out to the Police Officers for the hard job they have to do and the very difficult split second decisions they have to make.

The thing is the officers and the dogs are under the gun for every outcome--if a person is injured or if a dog is injured.

I wish the best for the dogs and the officers involved and I hope the owners have a chance to receive dog training so their dogs will not be out running around if that is what is necessary.

It's not fair for the dogs--everyone ends up hating them....it's not fair for the residents and other animals to be in fear of being terrorized if that is the case....and it is not reasonable for the police and animal control to have to deal with animals that have been raised and cared for improperly--everyone loses--we have to make this a win win all of the people affected.

Agree or disagree--welcome comments and your good ideas and your take on the situation.

Talking about responsible dog ownership and the trials and tribulations of owning and American Staffordshire Terrier.


copied from derbyweb.com

Posted on: July 16, 2014

Derby Police Department Captures Vicious Dogs

On July 15 at approximately 7 a.m., the Derby Police Department responded to a report of a vicious animal at 2121 N. Duckcreek Lane in Derby. After nearly 24 hours, both dogs were captured by the Derby Police Department.

When officers arrived on Duckcreek Lane, they found a husky and pit bull lying on top of a cat that appeared to be dead. The resident at this address discovered that one or both of the dogs had mauled her cat. The pit bull also approached a next-door neighbor when she was putting her trash cart at the curb. The dog was growling and barking at her.

A Derby Animal Control Officer attempted to capture the husky using a catch pole. During this time, the pit bull circled around and moved towards the Animal Control Officer and a police officer, growling and barking. Because of the dog’s threatening behavior and threat of attack, the police officer fired a single shot from a shotgun, striking the pit bull on its chest.

“Any time we deal with a vicious animal our goal is to safely capture the animal without incident,” said Derby Police Lt. Tim Brant. “Because of the aggressive nature of the pit bill reported to and witnessed by the police officer, the officer believed the pit bull was going to attack so he shot it to protect human life.”

After the shot was fired, both dogs ran off. Derby officers tracked the dogs to the railroad tracks between Buckner Street and River Street near an industrial area. The dogs were spotted along a thick line of brush near the tracks, but officers were not able to catch them.

Just after 4 p.m. Tuesday, police officers were dispatched to Shirts Plus, 703 N. Buckner, for a report of dogs on the back porch. When the officers arrived, the dogs ran from them again and were not captured. The Animal Control Officer set out a large dog trap in the area and police officers monitored the area throughout the night.

On July 16 at approximately 6 a.m., police officers were dispatched to 228 N. Water for a report of two dogs in the backyard. The resident was concerned about other animals in the yard and didn’t want the dogs to attack them. Both dogs were captured at this location without incident.

The pit bull was taken to the veterinarian for treatment, and the owners have been located. The dogs live outside the City of Derby near 47th Street South and K-15.

“We are happy to report that no other people or animals were harmed during the night as the dogs ran loose,” said Lt. Brant. “The primary responsibility of the Derby Police Department is to protect the life and property of our citizens and visitors. We value animals up until the point they pose a threat to humans or other animals.”

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Martha Burk Talks Hobby Lobby, the GOP and Hell to Pay in November

Martha Burk Become a fan 

Money Editor, Ms. magazine; director, Corporate Accountability Project, National Council of Women's Organizations

Women, Hobby Lobby and the GOP: Hell to Pay in November?

Posted: 07/16/2014 2:32 pm EDT Updated: 07/16/2014 3:59 pm EDT

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Two weeks after the Supreme Court's Hobby Lobby decision allowing corporations to refuse some kinds of birth control coverage for female employees, the brouhaha has not died down. In fact, anger is building among women -- and at precisely the time the Democrats are counting on single females to push them to victory in November.

Harry Reid, Senate Majority Leader, promised action to undo the decision, which not only elevates the rights of corporations over those of women, but legitimizes a form of sex discrimination in employment.

One option would be repeal of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, the law on which the decision was based (impossible with a slim Democratic majority and no chance at all in the Republican-controlled House). Instead, a vote was held on Wednesday on whether to consider a measure dubbed the "Not My Boss' Business Act," introduced by Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Mark Udall (D-CO). The bill mandates that employers cannot disrupt coverage for contraception or other health services that are guaranteed under federal law. No big surprise -- the GOP blocked the bill from even going forward for debate.

That means direct action by women will likely ramp up. Demonstrations have been ongoing in several cities, and social media is abuzz with hashtags like like #DrHobbyLobby and Facebook sites opposing the decision and calling for a boycott of Hobby Lobby. Other businesses that have sued to exclude birth control from company insurance are also in the crosshairs, including Eden Foods. Michael Potter, Eden's CEO, claims among other things, that contraception "almost always involve[s] immoral and unnatural practices." A petition went up immediately to "buy organic" somewhere else.

Taking aim at individual businesses may have some effect, but the larger fallout may be suffered by the Republican Party. After all, women haven't forgotten "legitimate rape," "abortion Barbie," and "hey hot mama" from Republican candidates. And female voters now get it that a Republican majority in the Senate could block even moderate judges if the two oldest liberals (Ginsburg and Breyer) retire in the next couple of years, and surely put more anti-women justices on the Court if the GOP prevails in 2016.

Women, the majority of voters, have been moving away from the Republican Party for decades. As of the last election, the gender gap in party identification was 13 points in favor of the Democrats.

Long before Hobby Lobby, women were telling pollsters the Grand Old Party just doesn't understand. According to the CNN/ORC International poll, which was released last February, 55 percent of Americans surveyed say the GOP doesn't understand women. That number rises to 59 percent among all women and 64 percent among women over 50. It's a good bet young women are now approaching their mothers' level of disdain in the wake of the no-birth-control decision.

Republicans have been saying that the "war on women" Democrats accuse them of waging is a fake issue. Really? In addition to taking aim at abortion and now birth control, Republicans have blocked equal pay legislation, a minimum wage increase, and expansion of Medicaid -- all programs that affect women disproportionately. They've crusaded for years to weaken Social Security, and don't even mention child care or paid family leave.

If it's not a war, it's one hell of a frontal assault. We'll see if women remember in November.

Listen to a two-minute radio commentary here:

An earlier version of this blog ran on Other Words.

from the huff post.com

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Zack Beauchamp from Vox Tells Us 11 crucial facts to understand the Israel-Gaza crisis

from vox.com

11 crucial facts to understand the Israel-Gaza crisis

Updated by Zack Beauchamp on July 16, 2014, 3:50 p.m. ET @zackbeauchamp zack@vox.com

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Israel and Hamas are at war in the Gaza Strip, against which Israel is launching air strikes as Hamas fires rockets into Israel. That's obvious from the headlines. But there's a ton of backstory that's necessary to understand what's happening, both in the day-to-day conflict and the bigger picture. What is Hamas, really, and what does it want? What is Gaza, and does Israel control it?

In order to give you a better sense of what's actually happening in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, here are 11 basic but critical facts you need to know to understand what's going on in Gaza today.

1) The Gaza Strip used to be part of Egypt, and is totally separate from the West Bank

Orlovic/Wikimedia Commons

As you can see on the above map, Gaza is separate from the other major Palestinian population center — the big green blob to the east of Israel, the West Bank. So despite both territories being largely populated by Palestinians, they're basically separate geographic entities.

Before Israel occupied Gaza, it was controlled for some years by Egypt, which borders Gaza on the west. Israel took it from Egypt during the 1967 war between the two countries, and until 2005 it occupied the Gaza Strip in the same way that it has occupied the West Bank through today.

2) Gaza City is among the most densely populated places in the world

Thomas Imo/Photothek/Getty Images

The Gaza Strip is 146 square miles, and has a population of about 1.6 million. That's a lot of people in a very small area. For perspective, Philadelphia is about 142 square miles and has about 1.5 million citizens. In other words, the entire Gaza Strip is basically as dense as a major American city.

According to data complied by the Washington Post's Adam Taylor, Gaza City, the largest population center in the Strip, is the 40th most densely populated urban area in the world, putting it on par with some Asian mega-cities.

This matters for the current conflict, because it makes it very hard for Israel to bomb from the air without hitting civilians. Hamas also places rocket emplacements inside civilian population centers, so Israeli aerial offensives inside Gaza are basically guaranteed to kill lots of non-combatants no matter how much Israel attempts to avoid it.

3) Israel used to have troops and settlers inside Gaza

Israeli soldiers and settlers during withdrawal. Marco Di Lauro/Getty Images

Until 2005, Israel occupied Gaza in the same way that it occupied the West Bank. That included Israeli military bases and settlements, communities of Jews living inside Palestinian territory.

In 2005, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon decided to withdraw from Gaza. Sharon, a longtime hawk and skeptic of Palestinian independence, had concluded that the Israeli occupation was no longer in Israel's interest. Sharon withdrew Israeli outposts and uprooted about 10,000 settlers. It was a hugely controversial move inside Israel, particularly on the political right — the current Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, quit the government in protest.

Sharon left control of Gaza to a united Palestinian Authority, governed by the moderate Fatah party from Ramallah, in the West Bank. But that's not actually how things worked out — Hamas quickly became the dominant power in Gaza. That means that Palestinians in Gaza aren't just physically separated form those in the West Bank, they're governed separately as well.

4) Hamas is part of an international Islamist movement and doesn't recognize Israel

Gazans celebrate the Muslim Brotherhood's victory in 2012 Egyptian election. Mahmud Hams/AFP/Getty Images

Hamas is, according to its charter, the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood — an Islamist group that operates around the Muslim world, and one that nominally ran the Egyptian government for about a year recently. Hamas isn't controlled by the Egypt-based brotherhood leadership, but they have close ties. Unlike many Brotherhood branches, though, Hamas also has a militant wing: the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades.

Since Hamas' 1987 founding, it has waged war on Israel, most notably through suicide bombings and rocket attacks. It seeks to replace Israel with a Palestinian state, and has repeatedly refused to recognize Israel (though it has a proposed a long-term truce if Israel agrees to withdraw from the West Bank). Some Hamas leaders have suggested that they would be satisfied with a Palestinian state on the West Bank and Gaza, but it's not at all clear whether they'd be able or willing to hammer out a deal with Israel in practice — assuming Israel was even willing to sit down with them, which is doubtful.

Hamas and Israel's long history of antagonism — Hamas conducted a significant number of suicide bombings inside Israel during the early 2000s — is a major contributor to the current crisis. Hamas and Israel refuse to negotiate openly and directly, and neither trusts the other even a little bit. As such, even small provocations have the potential to escalate rapidly.

5) Hamas was democratically elected by Palestinians

Palestinians celebrate Hamas' victory in 2006. Abid Katib/Getty Images

Hamas sees itself as the representative of the Palestinian people — and, in a sense, they're not totally wrong. Prodded by the George W. Bush administration, the Palestinian Authority held popular elections across the West Bank and Gaza for the Palestinian legislature in 2006. Hamas won a slight majority.

However, Hamas refused to recognize Israel or respect past Palestinian agreements with Israel while in government. Hamas fought a pretty bloody civil war with the more moderate Fatah party over this and de facto seceded from the PA to govern Gaza independently from the West Bank-based leadership.

Today, Hamas and Fatah are closer to reconciling than they've ever been. They signed a agreement to both support an interim government in April, and have agreed to hold national elections in Gaza and the West Bank sometime in the next five months. However, Hamas and Fatah disagree deeply about the current conflict. Hamas has been firing rockets at Israel, while Fatah urges a halt to hostilities. It's not clear whether the joint government can survive the current round of fighting.

6) Hamas isn't the only militant group in the Gaza strip, and they've all shot rockets into Israel

Islamic Jihad parade. Mahmud Hams/AFP/Getty Images

There are other militant groups in Gaza, most notably Palestinian Islamic Jihad. These groups are even more radical than Hamas and are wholly committed to violence rather than to politics as the main tactic in their struggle with Israel.

Since the Israeli withdrawal in 2005, Hamas and these other groups have launched thousands of rockets and mortars out of Gaza into Israel. This rocket fire rarely causes casualties, but it makes life miserable for Israelis who live within range. The drumbeat of rocket fire destroys Israeli homes and forces people to scramble and hide when sirens sound. It's lessened recently, but it's one of Israel's most significant grievances with the Hamas leadership.

Because Israel holds Hamas responsible for all rocket fire from Gaza, including from other Palestinian groups, sometimes Hamas gets sucked into violent flare-ups that it's trying to avoid. So the non-Hamas groups in Gaza help push the already-militant Hamas toward conflict with Israel.

7) Israel blockades Gaza, which creates a humanitarian crisis

Mahmud Hams/AFP/Getty Images

Since 2007, Israel has maintained a blockade of Gaza. It severely restricts all border crossings in territory it controls and naval pathways into the Strip. The blockade restricts access to food, water, electricity, gas, construction materials, and other necessities. It's not that Israel doesn't let any of those things into Gaza; it's that it bans many products and regulates the flow of others pretty tightly.

The stated goal of the blockade, which Israel has loosened recently, is to prevent Hamas from getting what it needs to build rockets and mortars that could hit Israel, and rocket fire has diminished. However, it's clear that another key purpose of the blockade is to weaken Hamas politically. Limiting access to goods, the theory goes, should either cause Palestinians to shift their support to a more moderate faction or force Hamas itself to moderate.

This causes a lot of suffering among Gaza's civilians. According to Oxfam, the blockade "has devastated Gaza's economy, left most people unable to leave Gaza, restricted people from essential services such as healthcare and education, and cut Palestinians off from each other." Oxfam has numbers to back that up:

More than 40% of people in Gaza - nearly 50% of youth - are now unemployed and 80% of people receive international aid. Many key industries, such as the construction industry, have been decimated as essential materials are not allowed into Gaza. Exports are currently at less than 3% of their pre-blockade levels, with the transfer of agricultural produce and other goods to the West Bank and exports to Israel entirely banned.

8) Israel and Hamas have fought multiple wars over Gaza

Jack Guez/AFP/Getty Images

Since Israel's 2005 disengagement, Israel and Hamas have fought three separate wars: in 2006, in 2008-9, and in 2012; Israel invaded Gaza in the first two but only bombed in the third. The 2006 war was triggered by Hamas kidnapping a young Israeli soldier, much as the current crisis was triggered by the kidnapping and murder in the West Bank of three Israeli students. They were killed by men who Israel believes were Hamas operatives.

Israel's stated goal in the 2008-2009 and 2012 war, which Israel respectively calls Operation Cast Lead and Operation Pillar of Defense, was to destroy Hamas' ability to launch rockets into Israel. The strategy was to destroy Hamas' rocket stock and supply lines as well as to deter future Hamas rocket attacks.

Since Hamas rocket attacks seriously declined after 2012, there's a case that Israel's strategy succeeded. However, it came at a serious cost in Palestinian lives. As the chart below shows, casualties in the conflict — almost entirely Palestinian — spiked during the 2008-9 and 2012 hostilities:

According to Israeli officials, the current offensive is designed in part to once again put a break on rocket fire. This strategy is called "mowing the grass" — occasionally bombing Palestinian targets to reduce current attacks and deter future ones. Israel is currently considering a ground incursion into Gaza, which it hasn't done since 2009. That would likely raise casualties considerably.

9) Hamas gets a lot of rockets from Iran

Atta Kenare/AFP/Getty Images

Iran is arguably Hamas' most important international patron. For many years, Iran supplied Hamas with cash and advanced rockets. But, in 2012, Hamas and Iran went through something of a divorce over the war in Syria. Iran backs Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, an Alawite Shia, against the popular Sunni rebellion, which the mostly-Sunni Palestinians largely support. Hamas refused to take Assad's side, so Iran cut off cash shipments in late 2012.

However, Hamas-Iranian relations appear to be on the mend. In March 2014, Israel intercepted a shipment of long-range M-320 rockets bound for Gaza. A UN investigation traced them back to an Iranian port. In May, Iran resumed cash shipments. Hamas home-makes its shorter range rockets, but appears to depend on Iranian support for more advanced stuff.

Iranian involvement complicates the current war significantly. It's possible a secondary Israeli objective is to send a message to Iran that it can't get at Israel through Hamas anymore. On the other hand, Iranian support makes it harder for Israel to starve and bomb Hamas into submission.

10) Tunnels into Gaza are really important — and hugely controversial

Mahmud Hams/AFP/Getty Images

Because Hamas can't get much through the Israeli blockade, they've developed an alternative means of resupplying Gaza: tunnels into Egypt. Gazans dig under the Egyptian border and pop out past border guards on the other sides. Smugglers supply them with goods that Israel can't or won't let through.

These tunnels serve both Hamas and Gaza civilians. Hamas and its fellow militants use them to bring in weapons, components for homemade rockets, and whatever else they need to fight and, in Hamas' case, govern. Civilians bring in medicine, food, and whatever else they want that doesn't get through the Israeli blockade.

Since the Egyptian military seized rule over Egypt from the Muslim Brotherhood in 2013, they've weakened the tunnel system. Egyptian authorities shut down many of the major tunnels. Israel believes that, as a result, Hamas is uniquely vulnerable to an offensive right now, as it's having trouble resupplying. One of the major reasons Israel is considering a ground offensive, according to a senior IDF official, is to shut down the remaining tunnels.

11) Egypt controls the only above-ground crossing into Gaza that isn't Israeli

Rafah. Eyad Al Baba/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

There's only one major supply route to Gaza that isn't a tunnel or Israeli-controlled: the Rafah crossing into Egypt. Currently, Egypt heavily restricts the flow of people and goods in and out of the crossing. The Muslim Brotherhood is the leading Egyptian opposition group, and the Egyptian government has little desire to help out their Palestinian brethren in Hamas.

The Rafah crossing has become so important for Hamas that some experts believeHamas is pushing in this current war to pressure Egypt to open up Rafah. The theoryis that Hamas is trying to leverage public Egyptian anger at Israel into concessions from the Egypt government. The primary concession would be to open up Rafah so as to aid the Palestinian cause.

That may be why Hamas didn't accept the Egyptian-brokered cease fire agreement, proposed on July 15: it didn't specifically promise to open up Rafah. So the conflict is continuing, with all the air strikes and rockets and civilian casualties that entails.

Correction: An earlier version of this post suggested there was a bridge connecting Gaza and the West Bank. Various plans to do this have been floated, but the bridge was never actually built.