When the same statistic is measured different ways in different places, you can't reasonably use it to compare the different places, at least not without adjusting for the differences.
One of those links I provided did make an attempt to adjust for the differences and the US did pretty well after the adjustment. You might find fault in that particular adjustment, but at least it makes the attempt. If you can provide a better way to adjust go ahead. If not, and if you don't accept the one attempt I've shown you, than the stats are almost useless when comparing countries with different methodology.
See, Tim, this runs to the heart of the problem. Whenever there is a statistic that the right doesn't want to acknowledge, they come up with some alternative interpretation or they manipulate the numbers until they get the result they want. That's why we are still in Iraq. We knew two years what we know now. The dialogue for leaving should have started then but instead, the right began its propaganda spin claiming that things were going well in Iraq and it was the nasty, left leaning media that was screwing things up. Of course, that was just plain wrong, and here we are thousands of deaths and injuries later, no WMDs found, billions more spent of taxpayers money and we are just beginning the discussion to bring our guys home.
A similar thing happened with T. Schiavo. The sane people knew she was a vegetable and needed to be taken off life support. Instead, what did the right do? Called a special session of Congress......once again pissing away taxpayers' dollars......in order to keep her on life support. It didn't work and she has been laid to rest in her grave as she should have been years ago.
It would be bad enough if these were the only hoaxes/misrepresentations perpetrated by the right on an unsuspecting American public but in fact, these two examples are just the tip of the iceberg.
Instead of being part of the solution, the right is part of the problem. You all are spending your energies defending the indefensible and its holding this country back.
|
