Why do liberals say poverty causes terrorism when most terrorists are not poor?

Question

There is no terrorism in poor places like Latin America, most of Africa, Asia.

Terrorists like Mohammad Atta were from well-to-do families. Mohammad Atta was an engineer who moved from Egypt to Germany. Only when he began going to mosques (in Germany!) did he become a terrorist.

The 19 hijackers were given visas to come to America because we accept people of every country. Those 19 hijackers did not come from poverty.

Neither did the 4 young men who bombed the London trains and bus. Neither did the men who bombed the Madrid trains.

Poverty does not cause terrorism.

Islam causes terrorism.

You don't see poor people in Ecuador blowing up buildings, buses and trains.

Answer 1

The problem with your question is that I've never heard anyone say, Liberal or Conservative, that terrorism is a byproduct of poverty.

Keep on grasping.

Answer 2

I don't buy that Islam causes terrorism either. Ted Kazinski (SP)
- the Unabomber?

The gist of your argument is that if terrorists aren't destitute than
poverty cannot be the cause of terrorism.

However, one of the single biggest reasons for the success of communism
in the last century was as a response to being poor (the state guarentees
a minimal level of survival) - even though clearly the heads of the communist
parties and/or governments weren't destitute.

Do you think the difference between the haves and the have-nots
was responsible for the success of socialism?

The issue here is that poverty sets the stage for a have-vs.-have-not
battle across cultural, religious and political stages.

I think we're being very narrow, simply siting the current set of terrorists
and defining them as all terrorists. It undoes the hard work of all other
terrorists throughout the ages - and we wouldn't want to do that.

Yes, right now we're in a death-grip battle with a specific group of
Muslim terrorists - but there have been others and there will be others
again.

Indeed, there are LOTS of terrorists in middle and south America - but
they aren't sitting on top of oil so they get a lot less press.

There are good (often stated) reasons why the Middle East is such
a hot-bed of racial hatred, mostly having to do with 3 of the major
religions being in close quarters with each other. Certainly the
Palastinians view flying missiles dropping down in the middle
of their markets as terrorism... What makes them wrong?

Sociologists occasionally look at the entire middle eastern drama
as a contention for land (a resource) by the different religions.
"He's got something I want..."

Its still, ultimately, an attempt at improving the lives of your people
by getting resources you don't currently have access to.

Answer 3

Terrorists are mostly poor and largely uneducated.

The leaders of their various factions, like the leaders of any large organization, tend to be from educated well-off backgrounds.

Otherwise the uneducated rank and file would not follow.

Osama had millions and he gave it up for his cause, this gave him credibility with his followers.

It has been done that way many times before, the founders of Buddhism, Islam and Sikhism were all from privileged backgrounds before taking up their respective causes.

Even Christ was educated above the level of the people he preached to. He was a rabbi afterall.

Followers of any sort are less distinguished than their leaders almost by default.

Answer 4

To whom have you been listening?
Your theory has all sorts of holes in it. Suggestion for you: do some studying. First, get a definition of what terrorism is. Second, find out what Islam is about. Third, look at some history. Fourth, pay closer attention to the news.
Seems to me that you're just looking for an excuse to condemn a religion. Here's a flash! Not all muslims are bad.
BTW, did you ever hear of Timothy McVey?

Answer 5

Terrorism is a byproduct of oppression. Poverty also tends to be a byproduct of oppression. So yes terrorism and poverty typically go hand in hand.

And yes Latin America has a very long history of terrorism.

Answer 6

What liberals say that.

I live in a small college town and because of that am constantly around liberals. I have never heard anyone say poverty causes terrorism. Except you

Are you making this so little whitetrash kids think they are going to grow up to look like Osama?

That is terrible of you. You know all the little whitetrash kids want to grow up looking like ZZTop.

Answer 7

What is your source for "liberals" saying poverty causes terrorism. I have never heard that.

Answer 8

Liberalism is a Mental Disorder

Answer 9

Poverty causes loss of hope for the future. Once that is lost, when you see no hope for your children to have better, out of that, anger is born. Hope is a powerful thing, without it, you have suicide bombers that believe death is better is the future is altered for the betterment of your people. Sad-but true.

Answer 10

throwing money at a problem is the liberals way, they think its the answer to everything, It's also a tool to control the poors vote. like our failed public education system, more money's not going to solve that either.