Kevin:

Dayuhan's comment: Can't deal with one without the other.

Problem is urbanization proceeds whether prosperity or not, but lack of prosperity really drives the negative consequences to the cities.

Look at Iraq. Rural to urban migration has been a permanent drive for decades, but it is kind of interesting because, like german farms, the farmers can live in a town, and travel out to the land. So their kids get schools, and they have centralized services and support, without crowding the big cities.

When you have serious drought, etc.., desperate folks crowd into broken city neighborhoods, and many bad things happen.

Was it easier to track down OBL and his friends in the wilds of Afghanistan, or in a mega city? I suspect the better shield was to be in a big, anonymous city slum.

Steve