Free Republic

Since 9/11, much of the political and media debate on terrorism-prevention policies has focused on the notion that poverty creates terrorism. The presumption of a strong link between poverty and terrorism wasn't totally unjustified. After all, economists and political scientists have documented a consistent link between adverse economic shocks and the outbreak of civil war. And since terrorism is another manifestation of political conflict, many reasoned that poverty and adverse economic conditions could help to explain terrorism's rise.... It turns out, that all things equal, there was no evidence that poor countries generate more terrorism. Then, last year, the World...