Poverty & Militancy do not mix!

[Firn]

I'm always happy when I see more evidence attacking this myth. There is a perception the West that the poor are inclined to commit crimes as though money alone equates to your values and drives your behavior. Worse we assume if we, clear, hold, and "build" we will address underlying issues, so we have a doctrine partially based on this myth. Thanks for sharing.

I think it has to do with our view about ourselves. We partly do believe that we are the good guys, that we are doing good things, that we are trying to help others and that a lot of problems would be solved if the poor and uneducated just could understand that. The crux of the issue is this is not only not true but even the other way around.

I wonder if we might not miss a trend also visible in the last century in the former colonies. Maybe it is the case that more educated people not burdened by poverty and the struggle for survival have more time, interest and dedication for broader (political) goals. That those goals can differ alot from those of the "West" is obvious.

P.S: If we look at this forum I guess that the relative level of eduction should also not be too poor either. To some extent it is somewhat of a mirror.