Comments on: The Economist’s "R-Word Index" http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2008/01/economists-r-word-index.html Sun, 22 Nov 2009 22:11:10 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Anonymous http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2008/01/economists-r-word-index.html#comment-2985 Anonymous Sun, 13 Jan 2008 20:47:00 +0000 http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2008/01/the-economists-r-word-index/#comment-2985 Interesting, it matches what I read in <a HREF="http://www.tradersnarrative.com/we-are-in-a-recession-841.html" REL="nofollow">Trader's Narrative</a>. There's a spike of people searching for "recession" on the web. Interesting, it matches what I read in Trader’s Narrative. There’s a spike of people searching for “recession” on the web.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2008/01/economists-r-word-index.html#comment-2971 Anonymous Sat, 12 Jan 2008 13:16:00 +0000 http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2008/01/the-economists-r-word-index/#comment-2971 What utter nonsense! We live in a world of bad statistics - that is, statistics so thoroughly flawed by 'mark to model' and 'mark to fudge factor' that the basis on which non-inquisitive journalists (which would be most of them!) come to report the 'R' word is merely a function of an echo chamber of these ridiculous statistics. It's entirely a con game of in which the players from industry, government, academia and media parrot each others spin because the fudge factor filled statistics simply lend themselves to spin. There are no actual facts; there is no actual analysis -- there's only PR and marketing in support of world views that serve the interest of all involved. <br/><br/>GDP is horse puckey -- and so is inflation, jobs, poverty, housing and other indicators. Filled with spin. <br/><br/>So, should we be surprised that there appears some correlation between the use of the R word in these media outlets and the 'time when the R started'. <br/><br/>Not at all in this wholly rhetorical world. <br/><br/>It's a parlor game and perhaps the saddest and scariest part lies in the players -- especially the so-called journalists -- being so wholly unaware of their part in it. What utter nonsense! We live in a world of bad statistics – that is, statistics so thoroughly flawed by ‘mark to model’ and ‘mark to fudge factor’ that the basis on which non-inquisitive journalists (which would be most of them!) come to report the ‘R’ word is merely a function of an echo chamber of these ridiculous statistics. It’s entirely a con game of in which the players from industry, government, academia and media parrot each others spin because the fudge factor filled statistics simply lend themselves to spin. There are no actual facts; there is no actual analysis — there’s only PR and marketing in support of world views that serve the interest of all involved.

GDP is horse puckey — and so is inflation, jobs, poverty, housing and other indicators. Filled with spin.

So, should we be surprised that there appears some correlation between the use of the R word in these media outlets and the ‘time when the R started’.

Not at all in this wholly rhetorical world.

It’s a parlor game and perhaps the saddest and scariest part lies in the players — especially the so-called journalists — being so wholly unaware of their part in it.

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