Comments on: Poverty Doesn’t Cause Terrorism

By: Signifying Nothing

Signifying Nothing — Mon, 07 Feb 2005 05:58:47 +0000

Poverty and terrorism Michael Kinsley's column almost got me to blog last evening, but I decided to skip it. I'll handle it now. Kinsley is acting like Presient Bush's observation regarding tyranny and terrorism is something new. It's not. Alan Kreuger did a...

By: INCITE

INCITE — Tue, 09 Nov 2004 10:14:44 +0000

Whence come terrorists
I've long heard that poverty is one of the root causes of terrorism. And it made sense to me, so I never thought to challenge the notion.

By: Ferdinand T. Cat

Ferdinand T. Cat — Tue, 09 Nov 2004 04:27:43 +0000

Hang on. If this were true, then it would imply that converting Iraq to a democracy would significantly reduce the level of terrorism emanating from the Middle East...

By: Robert Prather

Robert Prather — Tue, 09 Nov 2004 04:14:37 +0000

James,

Timeliness isn't exactly one of their strengths. The NBER issued a study two years ago that showed as much.

A little common sense, like in your last sentence, is helpful as well. If poverty were the root of terrorism, we would be attacking sub-Saharan Africa now rather than an oil-rich country.

By: McGehee

McGehee — Tue, 09 Nov 2004 03:58:31 +0000

This is what my wife would call a BFO (Blinding Flash of the Obvious).

Which would explain why it took a Harvard study to bring the news to academia. And I'm betting the so-called MSM never do get it.

By: Chad Evans

Chad Evans — Tue, 09 Nov 2004 03:54:32 +0000

Muhammed Atta grew up in a Middle Class neighborhood in Saudi Arabia along with several other Al Qaida terrorists as well.