Statism attempts to be super scientific.  These sad attempts are made by viewing statistics.   Statistics the state made business provide.  The business could provide value, but the state is making them provide data.  This is a waste of resources.  It’s using coercion to use more coercion.  The planner can now appear super scientific.  Statistics are how the planner sees.  They’re the eyes of the planner.

Gathering data is a tremendous burden on businesses.  Taxes are used to create these laws.  Taxes are used to enforce these laws.  Taxes are used to rummage through the gathered data.  The planner will use these statistics to plan more.  So, taxes are used to create more taxes.  A business has to navigate through red tape to create more red tape.  Business becomes rigid, and can’t deliver value to the customers.

The reality is very few make use of statistics in their daily lives.  We act within the market.  We make use of experience, friends, and online reviews.  The planner acts outside of the market.  Considering the planner is outside of what he’s planning for, he’ll use statistics as a substitute.  The planner must use these arbitrary statistics that have been collected in a mixture of possible information.  The statistics must be used for him to appear as a reformer.

These statistics are needed to make a half-baked attempt at planning.  This appearance at being scientific helps guide where money should be spent.  This attempt at planning costs an enormous amount of our standard of living, and is then used to lower it more.  They don’t demand statistics are gathered to better our lives.  This gives the appearance that they want to, and they are now positioned to win a popularity contest.

Statistics are the eyes of the planner.  They would be blind without them.  The planner would be deprived of the market substitute, and the house of cards would come crashing down.  The planner wouldn’t get far, and this would be noticeable immediately.  The absence of statistics would destroy any attempt at planning.  This is why Murray Rothbard referred to this as the “State’s Achilles’ heel.”

Reference

Murray Rothbard; Economic Controversies