The Wire – Juking the Stats

What do I say?  Imaginary numbers, the “alarming rate of unreported crimes” to justify building prisons.  I must revert to The Wire for wisdom.  BEWARE the video clips below are loaded with swear words. (not the Canadian video of course – it’s just blasphemous!.

NOTE: StatCan does not juke stats, but the current government sure loves juking.  So they are juking the stats to kill the real stats.  Please lets not become like the US!

Juke, Juked, Juking

realm: American street slang

To intentionally confuse, distort, outmaneuver or misdirect attention away from what is real to favor what is illusory, imagined, or a more desirable outcome. (Newsroom Magazine).

The definition above accompanies a great interview with David Simon the creator of the Wire: Gaming The System, Juking The Stats.  Do watch this great interview series on PBS with Bill Moyers.

The Wire on Juking the Stats:

Juking Stats for curriculum alignment.  Remember this is hard core TV social discourse on power that would make Foucault proud.  This is also drug ridden, underfunded, cops loosing jobs, no child left behind urban Baltimore under Bush.  In Canada violent crimes are going down, violent crimes are reported while spousal abuse reporting is always problematically un-dereported while petty theft (like your bike got stolen) are under reported.  Bike theft and prison construction however, do not co-relate!

Such poignant commentary:

They Manufactured an issue to get paid and we manufactured and issue to get you elected Govenor. Everybody is getting what they need behind some make believe.