Bitt - Agree completely, I just wanted to highlight the difference between the truly destitute and the US/North American definition of poor. While probably not relevant to the discussion about violence here, I thought I needed to mention it. The deseparation factor / death of hope is rolled up in the other issues such as health/education/job/substance abouse. They're all facets of the die.

I don't think the warlords in sub-saharan Africa are particularly poor, nor corrupt government officials who syphon off oil wealth instead of helping their countrymen.

I was also somewhat trying to point out the differentiation between the desperation of being poor and the monetary situation of being broke.

-Zeke