"The Kalishnakov Is The Weapon Of Choice For Any Self-Respecting Rebel"**

Collier's first trap is the Conflict Trap.

Collier breaks conflict down into two categories because his research has suggested that it is important to understand the differences between the two main types of conflicts that plague failing nations. These are: civil wars and coups.

Collier and researcher Anke Hoeffler attempted to explain the causes of civil war looking at several possible causes:

• social


• political


• geographic


• economic

Collier's and Hoeffler's research indicates that statistically, civil wars are not fought because of social or political grievances or repression. Instead, their research indicates that civil wars are fought for multi-faceted economic reasons; specifically related to low income and low growth.

(Links to articles about this research are found under the Thirst For Knowledge section).

Collier's and Hoeffler's research also indicates that coups are carried for much the same reasons as civil wars; although coups initially tend to be much less disastrous for countries than civil wars.

Collier estimates that the average civil war will cost a country (and its neighbors) about $64B. Collier also estimates that a country engaged in civil war will lose about 2.3% of its growth annually. Collier estimates that the average 7-year civil war will cause a country to lose about 15% of its growth.

These figures are particularly devastating for countries already suffering from low growth rates that hover somewhere around the 1.7% mark.

Collier notes that once a country has a civil war or coup, they are much more likely to have more in the future. And, since low growth and low income are likely to continue without some form of intervention, the root causes of these rebellions always present, making it still more likely that they will occur in the future.

Focusing on the ethnic, social, political and geographic causes of rebellions will not decrease the likelihood of costly and deadly conflict. However, focusing on the economic reasons for these rebellions will have an enormous effect on a country's ability to break free of the conflict trap.

** Read about the production of AK-47s around the world under "everything you always wanted to know about ak-47s in the "knowledge section"**