Amerika's Future is Death

The Daily Bell ^ | 08.21.12 | Paul Craig Roberts

[Chickensoup]

Thank you.

Would you tell me the meaning of SGS on the charts.

[khelus]

Shadow Government Statistics.

The graphs are from ShadowStats.com , a web site run by John Wiliams who sells a newsletter and hosts a lot of free information.

Williams is a private consulting economist and, out of necessity, became a specialist in government economic reporting. Williams has reconstructed unemployment, CPI, GDP, statistics removing 'enhancements' that over time have corrupted the value of all three. The 'enhancements' are the result of over educated and under real world experienced bureaucrats. For example the CPI no longer represents the cost of a set standard of living, the cost of a declining standard of living. A CPI that suppresses inflation, in turn over states the GDP.

I have spent some time searching, and found links to verify the 'enhancements' that Williams writes about. If you want them let me know, and I'll put together for you.

If you go to this page, there are primers and reports open to the public. Click 'alternate data' and 'chart library' at top for graphs.

[Toddsterpatriot]

Williams has reconstructed unemployment, CPI, GDP, statistics removing 'enhancements' that over time have corrupted the value of all three.

Yes, he reconstructed them by pulling a number out of the air and adding it to the real stats.

[Chickensoup]

Thank you!

[khelus]

My pleasure!

[expat_panama]

"...the meaning of SGS on the charts."

"...this page, there are primers and reports open to the public. Click 'alternate data' and 'chart library' at top for graphs."

Something more important that we need to ask is how can Williams secret proprietary data and methods be useful in how we work to feed our families. 

If we want to hire, do they mean we can assume that a 23% unemployment rate will allow us to offer lower wages?  Real life employment costs aren't showing that.  Same for Williams' price numbers, they say I can sell my products for 10% than I did last year.  I can't.  Talk is one thing, but none of us here on this thread believes Williams' numbers enough to actually use them to earn a living. 

Sure, they're great for waving our arms and crying "ain't it awful" but most of us have better things to do.