Does Poverty Always lead to Evil?
There have been events around the world lately (including my home country) that have got me thinking; does poverty always feed into evil?
I had just been to London with my family for a holiday when the ‘Tottenham Riots’ broke out. Some if not most of the commentators about these riots have obliquely justified these riots blaming them on inequality, deprivation and unemployment. In the aftermath of both the Buganda Riots and Walk to Work demonstrations, there were some apologists for the thugs who hijacked these peaceful (and probably justified) demonstrations justifying their actions on the poverty and unemployment. Similarly, in the wake of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallah ‘s attempted airplane bombing on Christmas Day of 2009 there were statements made to suggest that as he came from a wealthy family he really should not have participated in such acts. The most famous opening description used by many reporters around the globe was “a young Nigerian man from a wealthy family”. The story of his enviable early life, laced with his background as an intelligent unassuming student at a prestigious high school and expensive University in the UK, were very much repeated several times. These statements were meant to show us that he had the best of education in the best of institutions in the best of countries. What then did he have to complain about? The insinuation was so why would somebody not in need of money ever think of doing what he did. After all, he had everything he needed in life. In otherwards, if it was a poor lad from Nakafumu, many people would have understood, after all poor people are there to cause anarchy and havoc. That, to me, is where the missing link begins to evolve. Does poverty always feed into evil, while wealth heads for good? The answer is probably No.
I had just been to London with my family for a holiday when the ‘Tottenham Riots’ broke out. Some if not most of the commentators about these riots have obliquely justified these riots blaming them on inequality, deprivation and unemployment. In the aftermath of both the Buganda Riots and Walk to Work demonstrations, there were some apologists for the thugs who hijacked these peaceful (and probably justified) demonstrations justifying their actions on the poverty and unemployment. Similarly, in the wake of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallah ‘s attempted airplane bombing on Christmas Day of 2009 there were statements made to suggest that as he came from a wealthy family he really should not have participated in such acts. The most famous opening description used by many reporters around the globe was “a young Nigerian man from a wealthy family”. The story of his enviable early life, laced with his background as an intelligent unassuming student at a prestigious high school and expensive University in the UK, were very much repeated several times. These statements were meant to show us that he had the best of education in the best of institutions in the best of countries. What then did he have to complain about? The insinuation was so why would somebody not in need of money ever think of doing what he did. After all, he had everything he needed in life. In otherwards, if it was a poor lad from Nakafumu, many people would have understood, after all poor people are there to cause anarchy and havoc. That, to me, is where the missing link begins to evolve. Does poverty always feed into evil, while wealth heads for good? The answer is probably No.
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