Love the South?

[Maf54]

[jongjungbu]

[Brig]

[jongjungbu]

[Brig]

[jongjungbu]

[Brig]

[Caesar]

[Andy]

You're blaming his statistical method? From what I can tell, his data isn't a conclusion: it's a combinatino of Census Bureau data. As we all know, the CB doesn't always present the data in a meaningful way; and most of us don't feel like taking raw / meaningless data and combining it with other data.

Let me pick apart your energy numbers. Remember, your hypothesis that states with higher energy consumption have more tech. gadgets and computers? Well, I'm not going to try and take statistics that primarily reflect other factors and try to make them say something they don't. Energy consumption per capita doesn't take into consideration differences in heating/cooling, population density, construction regulations, or a million other factors.

So I'll just look at the computer ownership per household statistics, if I want to know them.

10 States with Lowest Computer Ownership Rates (southern states in bold):
1.) Arkansas
2.) Mississippi
3.) Louisiana
4.) Oklahoma
5.) West Virginia
6.) South Carolina
7.) Alabama
8.) North Carolina
9.) Kentucky
10.) Tennessee

It's worth noting that #11 is Georgia.

source:

Again, I can't make this stuff up. Even worse than the list of states with the lowest ACT results: this almost reads like a list of the southern states.

If it weren't for Virginia, Deleware, Maryland, and snowbird-rich Florida: all the southern states (by standard regional classifications) would have been enumerated in the first 13 states in this list. And I don't think most people would consider those first 3 states southern anyways. I'll let you draw your own conclusions.

[Andy]

Back to my original claims:

1.)The south is relativly backwards: as correlated with computer ownership rates, and a lower level of econ. development (partially reflected in a lower avg. income).

2.)southerners on average are a little dimmer: as shown with ACT results. You'll find the same correlation with SAT results, average IQ, and average income (all rough estimates of intelligence). It was even supported by your very own bachelors / capita data.

3.) [The south tends] to be a little less successful in just about everything: This point kind of overlaps with the above, but it is clear to see that the south is behind the north economically and does worse on measured, standardized tests.

My points are backed by direct empirical evidence. Your refutations, use vague data and require large leaps of logic. I think this debate would have been given to me in any regulated arena a long time ago.

[Brig]

Andy wins.

[warmi]

A consolation prize for the South - European nations like Sweden generally place behind states like Alabama when measuring standard of living.

[Kzinti]

[warmi]

[Brig]