Cost-benefit analyses offend against the notion that life is priceless
Their Gradgrindian logic is off-putting, but also mind-opening
THE AIRLESS nooks under a man’s foreskin are a cosy spot for microbes. These can inflame the surrounding skin, helping viruses such as HIV to spread. In places where the disease is common and treatment is patchy, removing foreskins can be a cost-effective way to fight it. In parts of Africa, the benefits of circumcising adolescents can outweigh the costs by about 10 to 1, according to the Copenhagen Consensus Centre (CCC), a think-tank. The ratio rises above 40 to 1 in the worst-hit countries.
This article appeared in the Finance & economics section of the print edition under the headline “Do-gooders and do-besters”
Finance & economics
November 16th 2019- America’s public-sector pension schemes are trillions of dollars short
- Tighter production targets have failed to lift the price of oil
- The Trump administration is trying to reforge carmakers’ supply chains
- The case for a falling dollar
- The improved mood in financial markets
- Some Chinese firms turn out to have lied about their state pedigree
- Stiff sentences for bank fraud capture Italy’s sour public mood
- How Jim Simons became the most successful investor of all time
- Cost-benefit analyses offend against the notion that life is priceless
From the November 16th 2019 edition
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Explore the edition
A flight from the dollar could wreck America’s finances
The currency’s dominance enables very high debts and deficits, meaning a plunge might spell disaster
Investors realise Trump’s pause was not the salvation it appeared
As China strikes back, reality sets in
Can China fight America alone?
The world’s two biggest economies begin an almighty trade clash
The tariff madness of King Donald, explained
As his policy turns on a dime, pity those tasked with justifying his actions
China has a weapon that could hurt America: rare-earth exports
It has only just begun to use it
America’s financial system came close to the brink
Chaotic markets threatened to trigger a full-blown crisis