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CDC data are disappearing

theatlantic.com

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Re: CDC data are disappearing

#501

Post by lucb1e »

iugtmkbdfil834 wrote: post #480
astrange wrote: post #465

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Things" are not getting harder every year; if you only see negative things in the world, this is a sign you have depression more than anything.

Hmm. If things are not getting harder then either they stay the same or get better. I would find it hard to argue for either of those positions, but I would welcome you to try to defend that "things are not getting harder". In just about every possible metric outside of maybe "few really, really wealthy individuals make more money" things are not getting better or are stable. Are you maybe suggesting that what is goo…

> Are you maybe suggesting that what is good for an individual is not good for society?

I don't read any such suggestion into the person's post; to me, it seems to mean what it says. As to whether individual needs and societal needs always align, I would guess you probably know the answer is "no" -- but also far from "never"

Re: CDC data are disappearing

#503

Post by marxisttemp »

_heimdall wrote: post #439
arunabha wrote: post #350

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But surely, the answer to 'data can be twisted' is not to remove the data? We have enough of a problem already with wilful misinformation. Having the data is the first step towards a reasonable discussion. Otherwise, you have to resort to 'I feel ....' vs 'Based on this interpretation....' I agree that the first kind of debate is already the dominant form today, however I think we can all agree that it's not been goo…

This isn't a new problem unfortunately. Data and research during the pandemic response was being horribly mishandled, largely by the Democrats at the time. This isn't a one party or one person problem. It sure seems like a problem more correlated with our government structure and/or climate, or authority structures themselves.

I’m sorry, I’m no fan of the dems but if you think Trump isn’t above and beyond when it comes to lying and twisting truth you’re either a shill or just ignorant

Re: CDC data are disappearing

#504

Post by joquarky »

grumple wrote: post #407
nimbius wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you look back at Germany in the 19th century, nations like Prussia and Austria had this sort of power struggle between the merchant class and the nobility at the advent of steam power. in this case the de-facto US nobility (rank-and-file career politicians) are being usurped by the bourgeouise (billionaires like Musk) at the advent of AI and tech by promising the working class a combination of culture war policy a…

> the question will be, after four years, will they abdicate their power or concentrate it? Musk, Thiel, and their friends clearly intend to consolidate power, and the people they associate with openly advocate for the creation of independent corporate fiefdoms with authoritarian control over society. There is no doubt at this point. These are not good people. They are oligarchs. They are the bitter nerds that just w…

There are far more nerds (bitter or not) who were not so successful yet are far more clever than these "leaders" are, and they aren't the type to tolerate intolerance...

Re: CDC data are disappearing

#505

Post by joquarky »

watwut wrote: post #288
SmirkingRevenge wrote: post #130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yea, these guys don't seem like the kind to do any abdicating, voluntarily. A lot can happen in 4 years though. Maybe self-inflicted catastrophic wounds will drive down support for Trump enough where it becomes possible for R pols and oligarchs to abandon him. Or maybe they'll choose the dark path, and go farther into repressive authoritarianism to stay in power. The problem for Musk et al is that they are concentrat…

> Maybe self-inflicted catastrophic wounds will drive down support for Trump enough They will blame women, minorites and especially trans people for all of that. And when dust settles, those who supported Trump and Musk will see themselves as primary victims - and will blame minorites, women, democracts and trans people for consequences of their own actions.

"Why didn't you stop me from putting my hand in the pain hole?"

Re: CDC data are disappearing

#507

Post by kmacdough »

Data is disappearing.

Data is a perfectly valid uncountable noun these days. In fact, it's the de facto standard for amorphous collections of digital data, used by most writers, data analysts and laypeople alike. The uncountable form is awkward and out of place in all but the most specific contexts.

Language is fluid. Used outdated forms is distracting.

Re: CDC data are disappearing

#508

Post by lelandbatey »

djfobbz wrote: post #448
darth_avocado wrote: post #393

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Data isn’t the ultimate fact check But it is. Numbers can be twisted, but it they can easily be verified. Bias, bad sources and cherry picking can allow you to tell stories, but the data will allow you to verify those stories are indeed facts. Brain can’t really fact check things that don’t have any data.

Disagree. Numbers don't exist in a vacuum - they are collected, framed, and interpreted by humans with biases, agendas, and limitations. Verification isn't just about checking numbers; it's about scrutinizing methodologies, sources, and context. Data can affirm falsehoods when selectively presented or measured poorly. Brains aren't secondary to fact-checking; they are the ultimate tool for discerning whether data ref…

True, though in order for brains to do that at all, they need data to analyze. Data is a necessary prerequisite for trying to understand things at all. Removing said data means there is not even the chance to achieve understanding or change. Which is kinda the point.

Barring said data being fabricated, deleting data seems to be a sign of bad faith.

Re: CDC data are disappearing

#509

Post by gopher_space »

cle wrote: post #299
breadwinner wrote: post #240

Data is the ultimate Fact Check. This is a President that's adamantly opposed to fact checking [1] and has even coerced Facebook to drop fact checking. Of course they don't want data on government sites that disprove their "alternate facts". [1] https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4920827-60-minutes-tru...

> Data is the ultimate Fact Check. This is wrong IMO. Data can be missing, incomplete, biased, skewed, and even just plain wrong. Cherry-picked data can be worse than no data. The ultimate fact check is a scientific process of collecting data, modeling it, scrutinizing it and its methodology and the entities involved, contextualizing it, cross-checking, replicating, etc. What media likes to call "fact checking" to me…

Similarly, everyone feels like a camera captures truth except the people who operate cameras for a living.

Re: CDC data are disappearing

#510

Post by icameron »

refurb wrote: post #500
andrewflnr wrote: post #498

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're assuming the CDC is democrats? You don't think maybe the CDC staff were just rushed and scared by a rampaging executive?

No, I telling you the CDC people are the same ones who were there under Biden. They haven't been replaced. They might be replaced, but they haven't been replaced yet. Sure, they might be "scared", but being scared isn't an excuse for going overboard and doing things that aren't required. They could have just left the data up and complied with the EO through the Director by saying "we are currently reviewing the data…

How can we know who is deleting the data? How do we know it’s a long time employee, or know it’s one of the newly appointed loyalists?
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