Lies, Statistics and Trends

Over the period of our lives, we humans ought to learn more efficiently. But in so many ways, we keep sticking our fingers in the same light socket and yet each time we are subsequently surprised when we get a shock.

Case in point - the word "trend".

In case you had not noticed, the liars in today's public arena use trends in place of facts. They claim trends are equal to fact. One must assume this is due to the fact that somehow the public has finally learned (it took long enough) to suspect the odor of statistics. But trends are simply collections of selected statistics. The infamous wolf in sheep's clothing.

When Al Gore speaks of trends proving his case in regarding the "fact" that global warming is a trend that will, of course, continue - your nose should detect the same foul odor.

But the manipulators of our media use trends to replace facts all the time. They construct a study of (you guessed it) statistics, call it a trend and then claim it is the word of their god, science. We, of course, cannot doubt their god's word, or the priests who deliver it, we are mere mortals. We have two choices, agree or be blasphemous. In addition, we cannot expect them to report to the public on blaspheme, can we?

Let's study the word itself. "Trend" is not a bad word. In no way does it imply cosmic truth or fact, or that the observed trend can be expected to continue.

But as we know, words don't lie, people lie. So lets not blame the word, just turn on the odor detector when the media uses the words "trend", "forcast", "projection", or "result".

We all know that, with the exception of political promises getting ever bolder and never being kept, trends never continue forever.