Cavalcade of Endogeneity: The Market Monetarist does Micro Edition

So on the Market Monetarist blog, I recently saw one of the worst examples of the correlation implies causality fallacy ever by a supposed professional economist.

There is a graph presented of a raw correlation between an index of property right protection in a country and an index of "environmental performance"

Look for yourself, here's the graph:

and then the hammer drops:

"So there you go. The one graph version of Free Market Environmentalism – if you are concerned about the environment you should really primarily concern yourself about the protection of property rights"

That is just a stunning leap from the graph.

Might we dare to think there is a third factor, I dunno, maybe income, that is causing both of these indices?

Or try it this way, if I presented a graph that showed government spending was positively correlated with environmental performance, would the Market Monetarist then conclude that big government was the way to protect the environment?

If not, why not? Why would my analysis be any worse than this?

Last meals

Oh Oklahoma. you just can't do anything right.

Take the case of this dude Richard Glossip, on death row for murder for hire.

He's already had two last minute stays of execution, this time because the state did not get the correct third drug for its 3 drug lethal injection cocktail.

No matter what you think of the case or of capital punishment, can you imagine being set to be executed twice already and getting last day reprieves and knowing that it will happen again in 37 days?

Jeebus help us all for what happens in our penal system.

Here, by the way, is the menu for Glossip's second last meal:

On Tuesday evening, Glossip received a second last meal: a medium double-bacon, double-cheese pizza from Pizza Hut; two orders of fish and chips from Long John Silver's; and a Baconater and strawberry malt from Wendy's.

I wonder what he'll ask for on his 3rd one. I wonder how many last meals this poor bastard will have.


By the way, here's my last meal request if it ever comes down to it:

Wagyu beef skirt steak(medium rare), mexican-style corn on the cob, risotto, charred brussels sprouts, key lime pie.

I'd like the pie to come from The Tea House in Santa Fe, the steak, risotto and brussels sprouts from Red Prime in OKC and the corn from Passion Latin Fusion in Albequerque.

Indiana: Angus Edition

Well Mungo has weighed in. Here's my more succinct take on the subject:

"Out there, the law is coming, I've been so tired of running
Indiana wants me, Lord, I can't go back there"

"Right" out of their minds

People, this morning I have to write about right wingers who have totally lost their minds.

Let's start with the trivially mean and stupid. Yes, Rep. King, I'm talking about you. Complaining publicly that the Obama girls shouldn't be going on vacation while the country is struggling. Nice job nimrod.

Now to the New York Post, and the inimitable Thomas Sowell, who stumbles his way to the innuendo that quantitative easing in the US is the same as Cyprus' haircut on bank depositors. There's only one problem with his argument: THERE IS NO INFLATION TOM!!!!  When when when will these inflationistas learn how to read a chart:

Finally to the dumbest of the dumb for the day at least. Art Laffer and Stephen Moore in the WSJ on "The Red State Path to Prosperity". Hey guys, repeat after me: THE RED STATES ARE THE POOR STATES! Please please please, learn how to read a chart before you make fools of yourselves.

Here are the 10 richest states: Maryland, New Jersey, Connecticut, Alaska, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Virginia, California, Delaware.

Here are the rankings for the no income tax Southern states Laffer & Moore are so proud of: Texas (25th), Florida (38th), Tennessee (44). They also brag on Louisiana (41), North Carolina (39), Oklahoma (45th) and Kansas (28th).

Illiterate and angry is no way to go through life, guys.