{
    "href": "/post/2013/04/04/facts-are-not-enough-you-need-theory-as-well/",
    "relId": "2013/04/04/facts-are-not-enough-you-need-theory-as-well",
    "title": "Facts Are Not Enough; You Need Theory As Well",
    "author": "pmjones",
    "markup": "html",
    "tags": [
        {
            "href": "/tag/economics/",
            "relId": "economics",
            "title": "Economics",
            "author": null,
            "created": null,
            "updated": [],
            "markup": "markdown"
        },
        {
            "href": "/tag/science/",
            "relId": "science",
            "title": "Science",
            "author": null,
            "created": null,
            "updated": [],
            "markup": "markdown"
        },
        {
            "href": "/tag/smart/",
            "relId": "smart",
            "title": "Smart",
            "author": null,
            "created": null,
            "updated": [],
            "markup": "markdown"
        }
    ],
    "created": "2013-04-04 16:21:25 UTC",
    "updated": [
        "2013-04-04 16:21:25 UTC"
    ],
    "html": "<blockquote>\n<p>You want to find empirical studies that show free trade to be harmful to free-trading nations? \u00c2\u00a0No problem; you can find them. \u00c2\u00a0You want to find empirical studies that show government stimulus spending to be a sure-cure for what ails a slumping economy? \u00c2\u00a0There are plenty of such data-rich studies out there. \u00c2\u00a0You want to find empirical studies that show that violent crimes aren\u00e2\u0080\u0099t deterred by the death penalty? \u00c2\u00a0Not a problem. \u00c2\u00a0You want to find empirical evidence that increased rates of handgun ownership increase citizens\u00e2\u0080\u0099 likelihood of dying of gunshot wounds? \u00c2\u00a0Many such studies are available.</p>\n<p>You can also find plenty of empirical studies showing the opposite of what is shown by all of the above studies. \u00c2\u00a0And these other studies are, as a group, no less carefully done than are the studies that they contradict. \u00c2\u00a0And these other studies, also, are done by scholars no less credentialed and no less objective than are those scholars who produce the contrary findings.</p>\n<p>That\u00e2\u0080\u0099s the reality of the social sciences. \u00c2\u00a0It\u00e2\u0080\u0099s not an exercise in simple observation of simple and self-defining facts, only one or two of which change at any time.</p>\n</blockquote>\n<p>via <a href=\"http://cafehayek.com/2013/02/wheres-my-data.html\">Where Are My Data?!</a>.</p>\n"
}