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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: carranza2 who wrote (115420)	5/22/2005 4:53:38 PM
From: Lane3	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 793840

Freakonomics is well done. They are rigorous about correlation vs. causality. The intro stresses the distinction and it shows up throughout. I haven't finished the book, but I haven't yet found any flaws.

To: carranza2 who wrote (115420)	5/22/2005 7:52:27 PM
From: Maurice Winn	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 793840

C2, correlation and causation are always great fun. The thing which is required is to think of a sensible mechanism for the correlation. Thinking is difficult for most people, especially complex thinking with multiple causes with "scientific" and mathematical stuff involved. It's easy to see that abortion would reduce crime when one considers who is having the abortions. Even without the causation part, one can see that crime would be reduced. Criminals come disproportionately from the sole-parent underclass. If those women are now having abortions instead of babies, the number of criminals will go down. Whether the criminals are caused by some odd nutritional deficiency more prevalent in single mothers, or some other causes such as DNA, booze, coffee, lack of discipline, love, father, too much food, or Coca Cola, or whatever, the outcome is the same. Fewer criminals. Eugenics is great! Mqurice