Benjamin Hav Mitra Kahn wrote:  
>I agree that "the data about human beings can be treated just as objectively  
>as the data of physics, although a different method must be used." However,  
>the problem as far as I see it, within the discipline as a whole, and this  
>statement per se, is that there is rarely (if ever) paid any attention to  
>the DATA itself.  
  
  
Roger to that from Mitra-Khan. Some examples are the omission of unrealized  
capital gains from income and GNP; the murky definitions of the CPI; saving  
as a small residual from large but vaguely defined terms; arbitrary  
definitions for depreciation; etc. ad inf. Too many people toss "official"  
numbers around just because they exist, and pretend they know what they  
mean.  
  
Mason Gaffney