Yes, I believe there's little doubt that poverty plays a crucial role in so many societal ills. Even here in America I don't think people realize that in reference to some countries, our homeless situation doesn't resemble even approximately the level of gripping and devastating poverty say---in Africa or in Palestine.

There's a consensus here which is correct. However, there's certainly more to it than just poverty. Consider the al-Queda terrorist backgrounds. Most had been educated--if not in the United States--in allied countries in the West and beyond.

Most were extremely well spoken and educated. Yes, one could make the connection that the crushing poverty of fellow Muslims---often assumed to be directly related to Big Oil, etc. was what led the terrorists to pursue such a bold and devastating attack. But there's more to it as we probably all know.

Really?? I'm being too simplistic here??

Complexity be damned I guess---those stupid Palestinians just don't know how good they have it. And they must be precisely the same as any other organization despite a multitiude of different agendas.

I don't know if you think that a majority of terrorist operations are religeous in nature, but they aren't. Although their motivations do happen to overlap many times most terrorist organizations have very specific political goals. Religeon is used as a tool to recruit the impressionable to do things the "handlers" won't do themselves. It's delusional, it's antithical to progress but it's based upon a political calculation.

The point of the article made some great points. Terrorism cannot be linked to poverty alone. I thought I was making that point a little clearer as I evaluated the argument.

But I guess that since suicide bombers aren't very smart the whole analysis is futile. And apparently, these terrorist acts all fall under the direction of extremist Islamic teenagers.

I'll check back to see if that is sufficiently one-dimensional for you. I prefer brain trust to brain aneuryism--multiple brain aneuryisms.