[hermit22]

Yes, there have always been inequities, but it wasn't until the tail end of the Industrial Revolution that opposition came to them in the form of terrorism. I'm not sure what the reason for that is.

Terrorists have always come from the elite. The Narodyana Volya, the first modern terrorist group (Russia, 1878-1881) was almost entirely of the intelligentsia and the rich, who couldn't stand to see the inequities going on around them. Their rhetoric was supported by the masses, and it laid the groundwork for the Bolsheviks a few decades later - many of whom were also from the elite.

I think Friedman's right in that the idleness that can come with wealth leads people to be easily taken in by easy reasoning. Most cult members, for example, are of the rich, or at least the intelligent class. I don't think this is a bin Laden phenomenon; it's been going on since terrorism began.

There are generally three levels to any terrorist organization: the leaders, the soldiers, and the sympathizers. When I say bin Laden't base, I'm referring more to the sympathizers, who don't take part in any terrorist action.