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Financial Aid Alone Won't Solve the Problem But...

Reader comment on item: God and Mammon

Submitted by Joel Davidson (United States), May 22, 2002 at 01:53

This was a fascinating article and it certainly does point out many reasons why money alone will not help the situation. (Pipes has largely changed my thinking here). However, I have one comment and two questions:

Comment: "Revolutions take place, it has often been noted, only when a substantial middle class exists" (Pipes). In fact, however, the Leninist-Russian revolution occurred in an extremely poor nation with almost no middle class. Marx believed the revolution would occur first in a more industrialized nation with a substantial working class, but it didn't.

Question 1: If it is not the poor, in general, who become Islamists, is it possible that creating a more stable economy and more democratic government (I agree that a rich dictatorship is not in our interests) would enable the poor to lock up the Islamist terrorists more easily? Certainly they'd have more time to police, etc.

Question 2: Isn't there a humanitarian benefit in helping the poor of other nations, regardless of whether it solves our terrorism problems? I agree that if aid makes terrorism much worse, it will in the long-run hurt the recipients because we will eventually have to attack the country to get to the terrorists. But if it doesn't dramatically increase terror, helping millions of people is a worthwhile goal.


I look forward to reading more stimulating essays. Thanks!

Sincerely,
Joel
Submitting....

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Reader comments (25) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Islam was originated in the manner of poverty and its end will be also in the manner of poverty(Saying of Muhammad(s.a.w) [265 words]AbdullahMay 29, 2015 14:32223593
2Victims of Islam and of Arabian imperialism [243 words]dhimmi no moreMay 31, 2015 07:12223593
Texas shooter and the $20k per year international school [29 words]PezDispenserMay 6, 2015 10:55223196
Millitant Islam [140 words]unknownApr 15, 2012 22:17195102
1How Wealthy is Wealthy? [63 words]ABCFeb 8, 2011 20:58182471
4Militant Islam itself causes poverty [62 words]DanSep 17, 2010 06:47178349
Terrorists' call for parents to keep their kids home [97 words]RajeevSep 29, 2010 00:53178349
KASHMIR [103 words]Ben OthmanNov 19, 2010 02:22178349
Hope [56 words]waseem hassan sheikhApr 14, 2012 13:32178349
Isolating causes... [251 words]ClydeMar 5, 2009 12:14151691
A complicated correlation b/w poverty and violence [39 words]ShanahanFeb 26, 2007 00:1378940
1Islam is the cause [38 words]McGarryJan 19, 2009 05:0578940
Islamlic religion is the cause of poverty. ? [302 words]Ben OthmanSep 27, 2010 23:4978940
3Has some one explored this hypothesis [121 words]RajeevOct 3, 2010 17:2178940
ISLAM NOT THE CAUSE OF PROBLEMS. [243 words]Ben OthmanOct 3, 2010 20:5578940
1Ignorant of Indian History. [71 words]aktApr 15, 2012 22:4378940
ISLAM NOT THE CAUSE OF PROBLEM [141 words]BEN OTHMANApr 16, 2012 19:4778940
future of islam [21 words]satishJul 21, 2013 06:4778940
The abject poverty of the UK homicide bombers of Mike's Place in tel Aviv. [77 words]Mike OJul 18, 2006 17:0150091
Simplistic [238 words]A studentMar 19, 2006 14:4140731
Poverty one of the biggest contributors. [229 words]bilalDec 5, 2005 13:0829431
Power not Poverty [76 words]Benjamin OrionJul 22, 2005 15:0023702
2Iranian exprience [183 words]Shahin ShadmerJul 17, 2003 23:2310077
3Only Muslims can solve this problem [214 words]BharatiJan 11, 2003 10:315671
Financial Aid Alone Won't Solve the Problem But... [220 words]Joel DavidsonMay 22, 2002 01:53435

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