[planetguy]

> "This kind of violent activity tends to become more prevalent and audacious when grown men and women can no longer provide food and shelter for their families."

I doubt there's much overlap between "people who would commit armed extortion against a giant company" and "people who can't feed their families".

This isn't a crime of desperation, it's a crime carried out by organized criminals who have been in the business for a long time.

[cs702]

planetguy: during periods of extreme economic suffering, there is an increase in all kinds of criminal activity as many people are driven to desperation -- regular folk as well as professional criminals.

Consider the case of the US during the Great Depression, which "brought a rapid rise in the crime rate as many unemployed workers resorted to petty theft to put food on the table. Suicide rates rose, as did reported cases of malnutrition. Prostitution was on the rise as desperate women sought ways to pay the bills. Health care in general was not a priority for many Americans, as visiting the doctor was reserved for only the direst of circumstances. Alcoholism increased with Americans seeking outlets for escape, compounded by the repeal of prohibition in 1933."[1]

Some of the most audacious criminals in US history, like John Dillinger and Bonnie and Clyde, rose to fame during the Great Depression of the 1930's.

[1] http://www.ushistory.org/us/48e.asp