A social scientist mugged by the data

Heartless conservatives, eh? Not like those caring Liberals:

If many conservatives are liberals who have been mugged by reality, Brooks, a registered independent, is, as a reviewer of his book said, a social scientist who has been mugged by data. They include these findings:

• Although liberal families' incomes average 6 percent higher than those of conservative families, conservative-headed households give, on average, 30 percent more to charity than the average liberal-headed household ($1,600 per year vs. $1,227).

• Conservatives also donate more time and give more blood.

• Residents of the states that voted for John Kerry in 2004 gave smaller percentages of their incomes to charity than did residents of states that voted for George Bush.

• Bush carried 24 of the 25 states where charitable giving was above average.

• In the 10 reddest states, in which Bush got more than 60 percent majorities, the average percentage of personal income donated to charity was 3.5. Residents of the bluest states, which gave Bush less than 40 percent, donated just 1.9 percent.

• People who reject the idea that "government has a responsibility to reduce income inequality" give an average of four times more than people who accept that proposition.

Hmmm. OK, but the Christian fundamentalists, eh? Scary or what?

The single biggest predictor of someone's altruism, Willett says, is religion.

Not so scary. (In the USA there is a big correlation between conservative politics and professed religion, so this might be just that, correlation rather than causation. That doesn't take anything away from the people giving the money. They're giving more than Liberals.)

But who is standing up for the oppressed here? Do a double-take on this line:

Although liberal families' incomes average 6 percent higher than those of conservative families...

Is it controversial to suggest more liberals than conservatives get income from the public sector?

So while claiming to be more caring, to have better intentions than conservatives, liberals give less and take more - making more money than conservatives in the process.