I taught graduate-level statistics courses and breaking the axis is one of the “how-to-lie-with-statistics” favorite tricks. It’s not that it’s too complex for me...I realize what’s going on and why its done. What worries me is that its impact escapes some idiots who are not bright enough to recognize its effect.
If you have trouble with it, perhaps you can print it out, and extend the lines down an inch or so so that you can figure it out more easily. The rest of us can do that with our “minds.” But thanks for telling us that you think we are all idjits who can’t figure this out without your help. Actually, we can.
(Were you teaching special ed kids?)
“Breaking the axis” is a great way to lie without lying.
Don’t know what you are getting at. I look at the chart and follow the debt over time. I go back to roughly the turn of the century and see what level debt was at.
THe chart shows that we are in a bad situation.
Putting the chart to Zero will do nothing to convey the message.