GAZA WAR LEADS TO DROP IN SUPPORT FOR HAMAS: “There is a commonly held view that taking military action against terrorists has the counterproductive effect of strengthening their popular support. Recent polling data suggest that Israel’s recent action in Gaza had precisely the opposite effect. It turns out that military defeat (Israeli forces killed hundreds of Hamas fighters and damaged its infrastructure, while taking few losses of their own) actually lowered Hamas’ support among Palestinians.”

In other news, the response to Pearl Harbor led to a dramatic reduction in Japanese militarism.