Recently US President Donald Trump made a major blunder that affects everyone in the US if not the world. He fired the director of the US Bureau of Labor Statistics because her (or the bureau’s board’s) report on jobs did not satisfy him. He claimed it was “rigged” but gave no evidence.
I have long been skeptical of government statistics, especially about inflation. One interlocutor here said I should trust them. I wonder what he thinks now?
The result of Trump’s firing of the department head is that now nobody can trust any statistics put out by federal departments, bureaus or agencies. Every head knows that if he or she publishes statistics unpleasant to Trump he or she will likely lose his or her job.
We can no longer trust government statistics. Maybe we never should have, but now we know…we cannot trust them.
Many, many companies and individuals rely on government statistics every day. This will throw them into confusion and make their decisions much, much more difficult.
One has to wonder what Trump was thinking. Or does he think ahead about the consequences of his actions?
This is an ethical quagmire and issue because Trump’s firing of her is most definitely against the common interest. IF he has good reason to distrust her (their) statistics about jobs, he should appoint a non-political fact-finding task force to investigate and bring forth the truth. Such a task force should be made up on Republicans, Democrats and Independents.
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