Re: India

Michael Lorrey (retroman@together.net)
Fri, 13 Mar 1998 08:42:24 -0500


Alejandro Dubrovsky wrote:

> >From the '96 CIA factbook:
>
> Spanish colonies:
> Country Lifespan Literacy GDP/capita
>
> Argentina 71.66 96.2% 8100
> Bolivia 59.81 83.1 2530
> Chile 74.49 95.2 8000
> Colombia 72.81 91.3 5300
> Costa Rica 75.72 94.8 5400
> Cuba 75.05 95.7 1300
> Dominican Rep 69.06 82.1 3400
> Ecuador 71.09 90.1 4100
> El Salvador 68.88 71.5 1950
> Guatemala 65.24 55.6 3300
> Honduras 68.42 72.7 1980
> Mexico 73.67 89.6 7700
> Nicaragua 65.72 65.7 1700
> Panama 73.92 90.8 5100
> Paraguay 73.84 92.1 3200
> Peru 69.13 88.7 3600
> Uruguay 74.94 97.3 7600
> Venezuela 72.09 91.1 9300
>
> English colonies: (Michael Lorrey's list)
>
> Bangladesh 55.86 38.1 1130
> Belize 68.53 70.3 2750
> Burma 56.14 83.1 1000
> Egypt 61.43 51.4 2760
> India 59.71 52.0 1500
> Kenya 55.6 78.1 1300
> Pakistan 58.46 37.8 2100
> South Africa 59.47 81.8 4800
> Sri Lanka 72.35 90.2 3600
> (Ceylon)
> Zimbabwe 41.85 85 1620
> (Rhodesia)
>
> Again, taking into account the limitations of statistics like this, the
> differences are so enormous and consistent that my previous statement
> would have to be revised: not only do those english colonies not do better
> than the spanish colonies (haven't seen the french stats yet), they do
> much, much worse. And if india is the light of anything, then the world
> is really screwed.
>

Ah, nothing like selective statistics. Since you included in the Spanish list
countries that were early colonies, and tended to exterminate the natives, you
should do the same with the English list, and include the US, Canada, Australia,
New Zealand, the Falklands, etc to your calculations. Otherwise leave out most of
the Spanish list.... Please recalculate.

> chau