Don't Like the Numbers? Change 'Em

The Wall Street Journal ^ | January 13, 2010 | MICHAEL J. BOSKIN

[Puzzleman]

Politicians and scientists who don't like what their data show lately have simply taken to changing the numbers. They believe that their end—socialism, global climate regulation, health-care legislation, repudiating debt commitments, la gloire française—justifies throwing out even minimum standards of accuracy. It appears that no numbers are immune: not GDP, not inflation, not budget, not job or cost estimates, and certainly not temperature. A CEO or CFO issuing such massaged numbers would land in jail...

[Puzzleman]

Everyone needs to understand this.

[screaminsunshine]

A Ponzie Scheme of Lies.

[flowerplough]

BO and statistics: laudable attempt at transparency in counting the number of jobs "created or saved" by the stimulus bill has degenerated into farce and was just junked this week.

laudable attempt? Anyone who couldn't see thru BO's "jobs created (by government redistribution) or saved (by pork-barrel tax grants and such, more redistribution)" has the same kinda blind spot this WSJ writer and Harry Reid voters have for a "light-skinned" African-American "with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one."

[NonLinear]

Bump!

[Newtoidaho]

Government of the criminals, for the criminals and by the criminals.