What About the Good News?

Sara Mead notes UNICEF's curiously tone-deaf press release touting such successes in Iraq as "universal salt iodization (to prevent iodine deficiency disorders), reduction of iron-deficiency anaemia and fortification of locally produced wheat flour with iron and folic acid." Preschooling facilities, however, remain inadequate. That and the country is devolving into brutal ethnosectarian slaughter.

Comments

Other than that, Mrs. Sadr, how did you like the play?

Posted by Jeffrey Davis | October 23, 2006 3:41 PM

Ahh... "brutal" ethnosectarian slaughter.

Posted by Dave L | October 23, 2006 10:31 PM

In a 3rd World country without 655,000 or whatever deaths, universal salt iodization would be a pretty big long-term deal. The US did it back in the 1930s, and it prevents the medical condition known in less sensitive times as "cretinism." In places far from salt water, it can have a noticeable impact raising overall IQ. Iron fortification can also prevent IQ-depleting conditions. Because there is such a high average correlation between national average IQ and per capita income (r=0.73, according to Lynn & Vanhanen), micronutrient fortification might be the single most cost effective long term way to raise the productive capacities in 3rd World countries.

Posted by Steve Sailer | October 24, 2006 3:20 AM