Sunday, December 26, 2010

Linoge at the Peak of his Game

From his post of December 21st: After pointing out, like all the other pro-gun bloggers, that guns are up and crime is down, Linoge penned this incredible two-sentence masterpiece.

Of course, any student of statistics and history would already know that there is no correlation between firearm ownership and crime rates, and what correlation there might be is negative (in that as firearm ownership increases, crime rates typically decrease). But, then, “history” and “statistics” do not exactly fit into the anti-rights nuts’ misappropriated concept of “common sense”, so what do you expect?
Now, I realize that the lengthy list of disparaging names Linoge has used on me is all a cover-up for his terrible feelings of inferiority, but even he should do better than this.  In the very same sentence he said there is "no correlation" and he said "what correlation there might be." 

Of course the correlation that might be supports his biased opinions. Then to cap off this unforgettable and masterful bit of thinking, he says it's the "anti-rights nuts" who have a problem with common sense.

What's your opinion?  Do you sometimes think Linoge is so busy linking to his own chart and trying to get to the part where he disparages the opposition that he loses focus?  I think that's it. Either that or he was having one of those stiff drinks again.

Please leave a comment.

9 comments:

  1. I noticed this as well.

    Note that he offers no evidence for his assertions--just a link to one of his own posts, a common gunloon tactic. BTW, Jon-boy isn't alone in doing this--I've seen law review articles by folks like Kopel and Halbrook that are chock full of footnotes citing their own work.

    This is called "circular scholarship."

    Of course, Jon-boy is semi-retarded. There are many, many studies that show a correlation between firearm ownership and crime rates. Conversely, there is only one that says there exists no correlation between the two and that's the discredited John Lott ("More Guns, Less Crime").

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  2. Jade: “There are many, many studies that show a correlation between firearm ownership and crime rates.”

    I would be interested in seeing those studies, Jade.

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  3. TS: Let's remember the gensis of the argument, shall we?

    Jon-boy states, "Of course, any student of statistics and history would already know that there is no correlation between firearm ownership and crime rates, and what correlation there might be is negative"

    Yet, his only reference is to himself.

    Perhaps you can locate these statistical and historical studies that prove Jon-boy's assertions? I'm especially eager to see the historical studies--though I suspect they consist of a table that says gun control causes genocides.

    However, I'm perfectly content to provide a small sample of the many, many studies that show firearm ownership correlates to more crime.

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  4. "The GSS survey and other proxy measures of gun ownership do not provide adequate macro-level detail to allow conclusions on the relationship between overall firearm ownership and gun violence.[21] Criminologist Gary Kleck compared various survey and proxy measures and found no correlation between overall firearm ownership and gun violence."

    From Wikipedia for what it is worth - looks like neither side has a definitive arguement in this debate.

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  5. Sure thing, Jim. "Gary Kleck compared various survey and proxy measures and found no correlation between overall firearm ownership and gun violence."

    That's why he keeps naming his books, More Guns Less Crime.

    I thought the funniest part of Linoge's post was that he said there's no correlation and then he said "but if there is."

    The second funniest thing is the accross-the-board support he gets from the gun crowd. They are so biased they won't even call each other out on obvious inconsistencies.

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  6. Jade, me first for what? You are the one with the studies. I am not trying to claim any correlation.

    Mike, “might be” could be Linoge’s way of dismissing a slight negative correlation for being statistically insignificant (although by mentioning it he is not being fully dismissive of it). Still, I doubt you would show that kind of restraint. At least that is my interpretation of that line. I have not been following Linoge or his numbers, so I don’t want to speak for him.

    Again, I am in the “no correlation” camp, and would have to observe strong evidence of guns lowering crime before standing behind such a statement.

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  7. I'm with you TS, not only on the no correlation thing but also on the not following Linoge thing. Both can make you dizzy.

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