Lies, Damned Lies, and all That

Over a century ago, British prime minister Benjamin Disraeli penned,”There are lies, damned lies, and statistics.” So true this is I’ve advocated for years my all students should take a Stat course. We’ve advanced and now it is safe to say there are

Lies, damned lists, statistics, and campaign promises.

You can tell because whenever a campaign promise is kept, it becomes actual news. Even the official remarks on it as though one finally happened. A regular flurry of press releases issue forth as if from a snow machine.

Remarkably, every election season most people vote for these promises knowing all the while they will not likely become reality. Elections, therefore, are the single greatest example of hope by mankind – or are they simply legalized gambling events? (You bet your future on outcomes you don’t expect. 😊)

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UNCERTAINTY IS CERTAIN

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Lies, Deceit, and the National Agenda

The world you grew up in is no more. The world of reasonable honesty and reasonable lies has been replaced by abject dishonesty and blatant lies. Lies. Yes. People have always told them. You have told them; so have I. We need lies; they are a foundational structure of social living. They both deceive and protect. Children tell them to their parents to avoid consequences, like punishment. Adults tell them to their bosses, to enhance their position and/or avoid consequences of poor performance. Our bosses tell them to their boards to suggest business is good, the project is on target, or the detractors are wrong. The boards tell them to shareholders to protect their own credibility and most importantly, stock values. Our politicians tell lies to their constituents, though sometimes innocently with them not actually knowing much more than they've been told. They enhance their positio...

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