Divining Stats

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Those who divine the stats set the benchmarks, and control the discussion.
 

So what are we talking about here?
I'll provide two examples, and you are at liberty to connect any dots you can fancy.
But for me, the generalized propositions articulated in the first line hold true.

Example 1ne is the Palestinian death count post Oct.7, 2023 - which is when there was an invasion of Israel, and much death and loss, apparently at the hands of the Gaza Hamas.

The death count was provided by the Health Authority for Gaza - whose ties to the Hamas leadership, wherever they might be, is unknown to me. In effect it was the Health Authority that were 'divining' the stats.
The Health Authority was in there early.
While I can not be sure, I think they were out of the blocks if not the next day, only a day later.

I know this because I was paying some attention to the mainstream media - well known daily papers (mostly US & Canada), satellite TV stations, online radio, podcasts, - immediately following the October 7 invasion.

The media reports were quick to pick up the stats.
Those folks are usually delirious about body counts. Like, how objective can you get, and y'know that media love their objectivity.

Initially the press were inflexible in citing the source of their body count declarations. They made sure you knew that their source was the Health Authority, and that was usually followed by some cautionary postdictum.

These days (75 or so days later) its a little different from the media.
Of course, the numbers keeping growing. Relentlessly day after day. Hundreds quickly became thousands. We're now up to 20,000 Palestinians, give or take.
But the citing of sources now seems rare or absent. And not surprisingly no cautionary quip to take care about giving weight to the stats.
It's not just that the stat is voiced so confidently buy the talking heads. But the stats seem to take on more authority, or legitimacy - because, in part, there is no competition.
One could easily form the impression that no one else is counting - or divining.

Seems clear to me that the Hamas were divining the stats, that is generating them, and circulating them, and were as a consequence setting the bench marks and controlling the discussion.

Example 2wo. Identification of Dental Procedures (for billing purposes and more)
These stats were first developed by the occupational special interest group - (name of jurisdiction) Dental Association. Note that these Associations are voluntary organizations. No obligation to participate or pay. They do not 'govern' the members of the underlying profession (which is done by the College of Dentists or some similarly named outfit.)

More to come...