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Wednesday, May 07, 2014

Failed Strategies

Have you heard of Freakonomics? It is a book written by economist Steven Levitt and journalist Stephen Dubner published in 2005. It examines various aspects of economics (even if "economics" is used loosely). It talks about cheating, information control, the economics of drug dealing, and the socioeconomic patterns of naming children among other things. "Among other things" includes the highly controversial claim that legalized abortion reduces crime.

First, the reasoning. Legalizing abortion allows a woman who does not want a baby to terminate that baby's life. The likelihood of a baby who is not loved by his or her parents to become a criminal is much higher than one who is loved. Ergo, eliminating the unwanted baby decreases crime. QED1.

Now, to be sure there have been a variety of folks who have refuted the claim. Not having read the book or the refutations, I'm not going to try. Indeed, it's not the topic this time. This time I'm looking at the thinking. "What is the problem? What is the solution?"

The problem is that there is crime. Crime is largely influenced by parents that don't love. Solution: Eliminate the child. Wait ... what? Does anyone else see a problem here with the solution? But it's not like this is the only place such a ridiculous conclusion is drawn these days. Take, for instance, the current scandals in Veterans Affairs hospitals both in Phoenix and in Colorado. And it's not limited to these. The answer to fixing problems in the Veterans Affairs system? Well, it may be necessary to fire some people, but everyone knows it has been to give the system more money. Because the failure or refusal of those in charge to do what they are charged with doing is simply a matter of money, not a failure of humans. Or how about the whole problem of kids shooting kids in schools? That's clearly a problem of bullying, a problem best solved by passing gun control laws and anti-bullying rules because the problem is insufficient regulation, not parents, teachers, or anyone else in the lives of these kids.

What am I getting at? I'm suggesting that we're following rabbit trails, that we're hunting down the wrong paths, that we're looking for solutions in the wrong places. We're thinking that better rules and more money and greater freedom (Can you get "better rules" and "more freedom" at the same time?) will solve the problem. The Bible says that the problem is sin, that we're all sinners in need of a change of heart. The answer is not in better politicians, better laws, or more money thrown at the problem. Hopefully those with the real answer aren't relying on those failed strategies to get it done.

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1 Without even reading the book or the paper, you can see the abstract for Levitt's claim here to get a feel for the argument.

2 comments:

Neil said...

The book made some interesting points, but the authors missed obvious things on abortion, crime and murder rates. They noted that murders have gone down over the centuries but ignored that by declassifying abortion as illegal that they left out tens of millions of murders.

Stan said...

I have no reason to believe that the logic was sound. Decreasing the number of unwanted children would decrease the number of criminals. I'm simply amazed that they failed to go on to one or more of the next possible logical conclusion. How about the conclusion that decreasing the number of children at all will decrease the number of criminals? Or that allowing parents who don't want their children after they are born should be allowed to kill them? It hasn't escaped everyone, in fact, to conclude quite obviously that if you eliminate humans as a race, crime would come to a complete halt. (In other words, they are failing to ask, "Do the ends justify the means?")