Monday, September 9, 2013

Abolish All Government Economic Data Collection

By, Chris Rossini

ThinkProgress laments:
The automatic, across-the-board sequestration budget cuts are impacting the country’s 14 economic statistics agencies, forcing them to eliminate or delay reports on topics such as income, energy use, and global labor costs, reports Bloomberg News.

For example, the Department of Agriculture eliminated census reports on commodities such as flowers, hops, catfish, rice, and the mink population, which cost $8.4 million to compile.
This is great news!

But sadly it doesn't go anywhere near far enough.

All government data collection should be completely abolished! It's none of the government's business as to how many catfish exist or what the mink population is.

Government data collection gives an impression that the state is the overseer of the economy, and it provides an opening for central planners to meddle with the marketplace. Opportunities abound for the Paul Krugman's of the world to put together "models," and to prescribe "policies" based on them.

The marketplace needs to be freed from these meddlers.

If companies or entrepreneurs desire economic data, let them pay for it (with their own money) in the market. Let private companies gather up the data, and have their reputation hang on its accuracy. Government worries not about its reputation. It lies constantly.

If the private market were in charge, only the most urgently desired data would be collected, and it would be collected voluntarily. No one would be forced to provide what they don't wish to share. Right now, government wastes unbelievable sums to collect ridiculous minutia, and does so with the use of force.

Government data collection should be cut and slashed all the way to zero.

The sooner, the better.


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8 comments:

  1. Imagine a world without government busybodies. A world in which governments don't know how much income you earn in a year, how much money is in your bank account, how much you pay or receive in wages. A world in which all non-rights-violative transactions are the business of only the parties involved, and no one else.

    Pretty much makes "progressive," i.e. Marxist, government impossible.

    We can dream!

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  2. Sounds good to me. The less the government knows the better.

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  3. Get rid of all the data so you can make up your own. "The economy is collapsing, hyperinflation is here!!"

    Since the US Constitution requires the federal govt to take a census, it is govt's business how many catfish exist or what the mink population is.

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    Replies
    1. Interesting. Article 1, Section 2 states:

      "The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct. The Number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty Thousand, but each State shall have at Least one Representative..."

      Considering that the census was intended only for the purpose stated above, it is NOT the government's business to know how many catfish exist or what the mink population is, in addition to all of the other meddling questions they ask. They just need the number of people. As is usual, you fail spectacularly.

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    2. That comment by Mr. Wolfgang just gave me a good belly laugh. I don't know if he was serious or not, but if he was, that is one argument in favor of getting government out of education.

      Delete
  4. "The automatic, across-the-board sequestration budget cuts are impacting the country’s 14 economic statistics agencies, forcing them to eliminate or delay reports on topics such as income, energy use, and global labor costs, reports Bloomberg News."

    Translation: The Ministry of Truth needs more employees working overtime to create/spin the propaganda.

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  5. Chris, your title has three words too many.

    ReplyDelete