Causation or Merely Correlation?

Many look to the eighties as the time of American decline, but if we look at it, our moral decline began in the sixties, followed by declines in our economic standing.  We also saw increased violence, illegitimate births, drug use, unemployment and declining productivity. 

Given our propensity to assign causality to certain events, what could be the blame for the above.  Many would blame the Great Society programs which institutionalized poverty and government dependence, while providing disincentives to work. Others would blame the Vietnam war which divided the country and caused many children of the post World War II baby boom generation to shun the institutions held dear by their parents.  Others would blame the drug culture, or racial injustice.  Many would blame a confluence of all these. 

I, however, place the blame squarely on the shoulders of the Surgeon General and his 1964 report on the dangers of cigarette smoking.  Is it coincidence that stress began to build, some of which vented itself in student protests and urban riots?  Or that the divorce rate began to rise dramatically as spouses no longer could take solace in a peaceful smoke, but instead had to face each other without the pleasure of guilt-free nicotine?  What was the impact on productivity as employees trying to kick the habit began making errors because of the concentration impairment from nicotine withdrawal.  Could the dramatic increase in out -of-wedlock births be due to the substitution of sex for cigarettes as the preferred statement of the passage into adulthood?  Seeking a substitute for nicotine, could some have turned to more serious drugs, leading to a life of crime to support these new habits? 

As can be seen, all of our problems are tied directly to the guilt, frustration and stress caused by smoking and the on-going attempts to quit.  Cigarettes are the answer to all of our problems.  Encourage everyone to light up, send congress home and all will be fine.  Of course, maybe the answer lies in higher energy taxes.  Maybe I should think all this through a little better.  I'll get back to you.