[R] iraq statistics - OT

[Peter Flom]

>>> Peter Dalgaard <p.dalgaard at biostat.ku.dk> 5/19/2006 8:41 am >>>
wrote
<<<
They are... Figures like the ones quoted for South Africa, Colombia,
New Orleans &c generally represent the existence of neighbourhoods
with total social and law enforcement breakdown.

However, numbers can easily be misleading. I notice that the crude
death rate is substantially lower in Iraq than in Canada! The fact
that 40% of the Iraqis are less that 15 years of age may have
something to do with that... (and with the denominator of the violent
death rate too).
>>>

Another way this is misleading is that, even if you accept the numbers
as given, they are comparing apples and oranges.  As Peter points out,
in the US cities cited there are some very bad neighborhoods.  Tourists
don't go to those neighborhoods.  Most parts of those cities are much
safer.  In Iraq, the violence finds everyone.

Peter

Peter L. Flom, PhD
Assistant Director, Statistics and Data Analysis Core
Center for Drug Use and HIV Research
National Development and Research Institutes
71 W. 23rd St
http://cduhr.ndri.org
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