Post by unlawflcombatnt on Aug 31, 2006 20:50:04 GMT -6
This is a preliminary post on the subject of how the government manipulates statistics to reduce it's calculated inflation numbers. I was prompted to write this after reviewing yesterdays GDP report, and some of the suspicious numbers. The calculation of the inflation-adjusted GDP, in "chained 2000 dollars", caught my eye. The striking item was the the fact that adjusted for inflation, the dollar value of consumer Durable Goods purchases increased, while all other areas decreased. It seemed like a mistake at 1st glance. How could the price of everything except durable goods decrease when adjusted for inflation, while the value of durable goods increased after adjustment for inflation? Surely this was a mistake.
I found the answer when I called the U.S. Bureau of EconomicAssholiness Analysis. I was told that it was not a mistake, and that, yes, the "real" value of consumer Durable Goods is greater than the current dollar value. That's right. That computer you paid $600 for is actually worth $700. (You just didn't realize what a good deal you got. Maybe if you return it you'll get $700 back.) The BEA representative I spoke to referred me to Table 6 from the current GDP report, where it shows the different price index adjustments for different categories. Sure enough, the price index shown is declining for durable goods, while it's increasing for every other category. Below is a copy of Table 6 from the BEA's current GDP report.
Below is a copy of Table 6. I underlined the total, combined price indexes in red, the Durable Goods indexes in blue, and the "Core" index in orange
![](http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c190/unlawflcombatnt/8-31-06grphGDP-PriceIndx-X.gif)
You've got to admire the creativity of the Bush dictatorship. They've already brought us better 'government through fact creation.' Now we're experiencing a better economy through "creative" statistical manipulation. No wonder most people can't "feel" the benefits of our great economy. Most people simply lack the creativity and imagination of the Bush junta.
I found the answer when I called the U.S. Bureau of Economic
Below is a copy of Table 6. I underlined the total, combined price indexes in red, the Durable Goods indexes in blue, and the "Core" index in orange
![](http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c190/unlawflcombatnt/8-31-06grphGDP-PriceIndx-X.gif)
You've got to admire the creativity of the Bush dictatorship. They've already brought us better 'government through fact creation.' Now we're experiencing a better economy through "creative" statistical manipulation. No wonder most people can't "feel" the benefits of our great economy. Most people simply lack the creativity and imagination of the Bush junta.