Reply #50: Your opinion is the one most people accept.

[msmcghee]

I have a problem with it based on my own experience in life. Also, I think the idea that poor people deserve it - is an egotistically pleasing story for many people - which makes me skeptical.

You say that, " . . intelligence coupled with proper education is helpful for the formation of personal ethics."

It seems that one predictable outcome of your thesis is that people with lower intelligence and education are more likely to be criminals - since they are more likely to lack personal ethics.

I suspect though that if you adjust for income effects (lower intelligence often correlates with lower education and income in a relatively free economy like ours - and low incomes may motivate people toward crime, like if they are having trouble feeding their kids, or if they really want those Nikes) I'm not sure you will find that correlation to hold. It could though. Do you have any data?