Statistics, Damnable Lies, and Democrats

Todd and Erik Gregory discusses how statistical data is manipulated by government officials, NGOs, and media to create misleading narratives. It emphasizes the impact of this manipulation on public perception, especially regarding topics like crime, climate change, and social issues.

• Cherry-Picking Data: Statistics are often selected or distorted to support specific agendas. This includes creating false causations and biased analyses that misrepresent reality.

• Misleading Expert Opinions: Media frequently references "experts" without identifying them, giving undue credibility to their claims. An example cited is climatologist Michael Mann's “hockey stick” graph, criticized for its flawed representation of climate data.

• Use of Anecdotal Evidence: Reports often include subjective anecdotes from the public, which are unreliable and can skew perceptions of issues like climate and crime.

• Debunked Statistics by Political Figures: Certain politicians, like California's Katie Porter, use debunked statistics to promote policies, such as claims about premature deaths from not adopting electric vehicles.

• Media Reporting on Gaza: The media is accused of uncritically accepting inflated reports from authorities like Hamas about casualties, failing to question the accuracy of these claims.

• Crime Statistics Manipulation: There are claims that many crimes go unreported and that the prosecution of certain crimes is selectively enforced. This creates a misleading picture of crime rates.

• Hate Crime Reporting Bias: Hate crime statistics are manipulated to downplay incidents involving minorities against whites. The statistics presented by law enforcement may not accurately reflect the realities of interracial violence.

• False Narratives by Media Figures: Prominent media personalities, including CNN hosts, are criticized for promoting false narratives that ignore context and factual evidence regarding race and crime.

• Misrepresentation of Crime Statistics in Debates: During significant political debates, inaccuracies in crime statistics are purportedly propagated by media moderators, influencing public opinion unfairly.

• Public Belief in Media: A significant portion of the public believes in the narratives created by the media, indicating a deep entrenchment in misleading information.

The article argues that the misuse of statistics is prevalent in both politics and media, contributing to a distorted understanding of critical social issues. This manipulation leads to the public being misinformed, which could have long-lasting effects on perceptions and policies in society. The authors claim that many voters blindly accept these deceptions, reflecting a broader issue of misplaced trust in media representations. 

https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2025/10/statistics_damnable_lies_and_democrats.html