> You are not just reporting facts, you are advocating the theory that
> the reason for "Bad things happened" was that "In 1999 NZ lowered the
> 'drinking age' from 20 to 18". The point that the first happened after
> the second does not mean actually that the first happened _because of_
> the second.

While I am often enough happy enough with the time honoured concept
that "correlation does not imply causation", if you offered the above
opinion anywhere in NZ at present you'd be assured extremely robustly
of the link. You have to be here. Just be careful crossing the road
:-). (It's not THAT bad).
Measuring the size of the heaps of drunken young people lying around
the place seems a reasonable indicator (if I may indulge in just a
little hyperbole).

> individuals particularly successful at analysis in the
> field of economics,

They are usually called "inside traders".
Maybe "lucky blighters" (or similar).
or "statistical outliers".



[ :-) ]


                  R
-- 
http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive
View/change your membership options at
http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist