[ExI] jobs craved

[spike]

...On Behalf Of James Clement
...
	Subject: Re: [ExI] jobs craved
	
	
	Spike stated:
	
	Many here are science types, so perhaps you have been as entertained
as I have by the claim by the US government that the 700 billion dollar
stimulus bill created or saved 640329 jobs.
	
	
	
	Wow, that's only $1.2 million per job!  I wonder what the average
salary is for those new jobs!  James
	 

http://www.recovery.gov/Pages/home.aspx


James glad to see you posting here.  Your comments are always most welcome
sir, as is your general outlook on life.

If they meant $1.2 million per job-eon, this would be a bargain, for the
taxes alone on a minimum wage job-eon would run into the billions.  But I
rather suspect it was more like job-hours or job-weeks, for each of those
1.2 million dollar expenditures.

Our nation is paying the penalty for collective innumeracy, and a most
severe penalty it is James.  I am seeing nothing in the mainstream press
about how illogical it is to state the number of jobs craved with no time
unit attached, or about reporting six significant digits in an estimate that
scarcely justifies one digit to plus or minus 30%.  We have worried about
our public education system turning out illiteracy, but what about the
innumeracy and illsciencey.  

Of course, merely using the term illsciencey is a flaming example of
illiteracy, but I would rather be illiterate than to fail to understand why
the figure on recovery.gov is absurd.  What of the Europeans?  Is this not a
deep cool fountain of mirth?  Were it France instead of my own homeland
publishing this nonsense for the whole world to see, my cup would overflow
with jocularity.  However, I know I am paying for all this, and paying
dearly. 

Is it any wonder that I am compelled to libertarianism?  No, the term
compelled is too weak.  Rather, driven wildly toward libertarianism, as in a
panicked stampede towards libertarianism.  If you hired a builder and that
builder demonstrated such a appalling ignorance of the subject matter, you
would fire her ass forthwith! 

Anyone who wishes is most welcome to offer words of comfort, instruction or
admonition.

spike