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A few essays on enduring issues which have connections to current
events. For more current musings, go to our web log, chancho chino. |
Multiculturalism
The United States of America is the most diverse, multiethnic society the world has
ever known. In fact, most of the societies of the West, including the Americas outside the
USA, which as free societies welcomed immigration to strengthen their labor force during
periods of economic expansion, are similarly multiethnic. This "rich human
tapestry" is widely accepted as a source of strength for society. This is true,
insofar as it is viewed in the context of Western ideals of tolerance, pluralism, and
egalitarianism. But we should not overlook other more powerful principles which allow
ethnic harmony to exist in the first place. And no, I do not consider multiculturalism to be one of those principles.
The Metric System
The United States is moving "slow speed ahead" towards metrication. We are
the only industrialized nation which clings stubbornly to the system of weights and
measures used in colonial times (with some adjustments and standardization) while most of
the rest of the world have formally adopted the metric system. It's significant that the
English-speaking countries were the last countries to switch, with the USA at the end.
Should we stop resisting and make the switch cold turkey, as Canada and Australia did? Why?
Margin of Error
Opinion polls used to be reported in percentage proportions of responses. Today they
may include the number of respondents and "margin of error". Pollsters are
simply admitting that their polls are not infallible predictors.
We always said that the only poll that counts is the ballot box. But in November 2000
we were reminded that vote counts have a margin of error of their own. It's been
asserted that when this margin of error is greater than the margin of victory, a
constitutional crisis results.
Not so. A crisis, yes, but don't blame the Constitution. Blame misunderstanding of the
Constitution, and misunderstanding of the error. Read on.
Economics Quiz
If you've become cynical about the claims made during the past election campaign, it
could mean that you're more informed than those making the claims think you are. Just to
see how informed you really are, you should take this simple quiz. If you're not cynical
now, you will be after taking this quiz and checking your score.
Just in case you suspect my bias has anything to do with the answers, I assure you that
the answers may be found at the web site of the National Bureau of Economic Research
(NBER), U.S. Department of Commerce.
I admit to a certain amount of bias, which have come into play in the selection of the
questions and the distracters, but not in the facts themselves.
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