On Regression:
the case of Dr. David Cassidy and the case of President Bush

   
Nipawin - Friday - May 30 2003 - by: Mario deSantis
 

 

I am appalled at the extent of the statistical regression way to look at our world. I always remember when Dr. David Cassidy came up with a statistical research to assert that, in the province of Saskatchewan, no fault auto insurance is better than tort law as disabled claimants recover much faster under no fault. Dr. Cassidy and his research team glorified their statistical research by applying what they called the gold standard method of regression analysis. Different researchers disproved the results found by Dr. Cassidy and I called this no fault study a fraud. We must be careful and perceptive in applying statistical researches and the same George Gallup, founder of the Gallup Poll, warned that "I could prove God statistically."
   
  I am really annoyed at the widespread use of statistical polls by the media, governments, universities and any business as such polls are distorting our ability to think for ourselves. Today I was most annoyed to discover that regressive economist Kristin J. Forbes of MIT has been named to President Bush's Council of Economic Advisers.
   
  In fact, Forbes' contribution to the Bush administration is her statistical regression analysis that
 
"in the short and medium term, an increase in a country's level of income inequality has a significant positive relationship with subsequent economic growth."
  Forbes' mentality is in tune with president Bush's regressive economic policies of cutting marginal tax rates and cutting taxes on dividends.
   
  It is important to confirm our understanding in our languaging rather than in statistical numbers and this is how the dictionary WordNet ® 1.6, © 1997 Princeton University explains the word REGRESSION:
 
  • an abnormal state in which development has stopped prematurely

  • a defense mechanism in which you flee from reality by assuming a more infantile state

  • the relation between selected values of x and observed values of y (from which the most probable value of y can be predicted for any value of x)

  • returning to a former state.
   
   
References:
  Pertinent articles published in Ensign
   
  University of Saskatchewan Communications Dramatic reduction in claims and improved recovery time with no fault insurance system (Note: Dr. David Cassidy conducted this study while Director of the University of Saskatchewan Institute for Health and Outcomes Research, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation) December 31, 1999 http://www.usask.ca/events/news/articles/20000419-1.html
   
  deSantis, Mario The Incredible Abuse of Saskatchewan No-Fault Insurance (Part 4) June 3, 2000 Ensign
   
  Gross, Daniel Dr. Inequality: Bush's new economist has a curious prescription May 23, 2003 Slate Magazine, http://slate.msn.com/?id=2083561
   
  Forbes, Kristin J. Reassessment of the Relationship between Inequality and Growth September 2000 American Economic Review, http://ideas.repec.org/a/aea/aecrev/v90y2000i4p869-887.html
 

 

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