Monday, October 18, 2010

Objective Facts; They're For Real

Just added over the weekend below the blog head is a quote from Jon Stewart: Objective Facts; They're for Real. This a proposed sign from his Rally to Restore Sanity webpage (which I'm going to, BTW). Let me explain why I love this quote and why it is central to this blog.

Several weeks ago, a commenter left us the following, well, comment:

In the time I've read this blog, I've found the accuracy of their predictions are entirely due to an almost scientifically objective analysis of data, not from luck. They can't predict everything, but when they can't, they just say so.

I originally started writing about economics on a political blog, Daily Kos. And while I am grateful for the opportunity to develop my writing skills there, I was also constricted by the blogs political bent. Analysis had to conform to a particular world view. When analysis didn't conform to a view, it was attacked as "written for the man" or "propagated by a corporate shill" -- you get the picture.

I started this blog in the winter of 2006 and did so largely to write more about economics and less if at all about politics. Over the course of the last four years, I have been more and more about data -- what do the facts tell us about the economy. Not, "what do I really wish the facts said."

As I have asked people to add their writing to the blog (New Deal Democrat, Silver Oz, Brodero) I have asked them for one thing: stick to the data and what the data tells you. That's basically all I require from my contributors. And that is pretty much what we have done for the last few years here at the Bonddad Blog.

If you want hyperbolic rhetoric or ranting, go somewhere else. There are plenty of other sites that cater to that type of audience.
If you think the world is coming to an end, believe me -- there are plenty of other writers who will confirm your view. When you get here, realize you will get a lot of data and interpretation thereof. Also realize we will continue to look at the same data over a period of time to get an idea for what the trends are. That's what we like and that's what we'll stick to. The more data and facts, the better off we'll be.