The American Spectator : Poverty Does Not Cause Terrorism

The American Spectator : Poverty Does Not Cause Terrorism: "The canard that poverty causes terrorism just won't die. It was one thing when Nation writer David Corn and others connected the two back in 2002. The liberal default position is that poverty causes crime. It was an instant knee-jerk reaction after 9/11. But by now we all ought to know better. Except, the theory is still being peddled despite the lack of evidence to support it.

On Monday the Times of London, citing analysts, reported: ''Orchard of fighters' grows out of poverty and mistrust in Yemen.'

Last week, President Obama said of the Christmas bomber, 'We know that he traveled to Yemen, a country grappling with crushing poverty and deadly insurgencies.'

Yemen's crushing poverty? Abdul Mutallab isn't even Yemeni; he is Nigerian, and an affluent one, at that. Apparently, the president is suggesting that poor, unsuspecting Abdul Mutallab wound up in Yemen and was radicalized by Muslims there who were themselves radicalized by Yemen's 'crushing poverty.' Why mention it if that is not the general theory he is putting forth?"